French or Italian, circa 1600

inscribed:
APPAEΩ
ΣΩTHPIAΣ
EΣTΩ KA
ΓΠOΣXEΣEΩ

Overall the condition of the cameo is very good with minor wear to the surface consistent with age. There is naturally occurring veining, including to the background at the top right and to the centre and left side of the underside. The condition of the gold ring is good with some nicks, including to the edges of the bezel. A joint is visible around the edge of the bezel where the bezel joins with the rest of the ring. There are one of two small lacunae, including to the inside of the shank.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The presence of a Greek inscription on the back of this finely carved cameo, translated as "let me be your salvation and your promise", is unusual. Greek inscriptions can be found on a small number of carved gems, such as the cameo of the Emperor Commodus now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, and formerly part of the Marlborough gems. Three other gems with Greek inscriptions mentioned in the Alsdorf collection catalogue (op.cit.) are in the gem collections of Paris, Florence and Munich. Further cameo bust portraits of Christ attributed to 16th-century Italy are in the Museo degli Argenti of the Pitti Palace in Florence and the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. This cameo would originally have formed part of a devotional pendant or object, as one included in the pax kept in the Treasury of Friuli Cathedral.

The conception of Christ is very close to Antonio Abondio's bust of Christ of circa 1591, which is in the Royal Castle, Warsaw (Bialonowska, op. cit.p. 335, fig. 42). Antonio Abondio (1538-1591) was an important Renaissance sculptor who worked on a small scale; he is particularly celebrated for his wax portrait reliefs.

RELATED LITERATURE
E. Kris, Renaissance-Kleinkunst in Italien. Gefasse, Gemmen, Schmuckstucke und Skulpturen in Bergkristall und Edelstein, Leipzig, 1935, figs. 614, 617 and 620-622; I. Wardropper (ed.), Renaissance Jewellery in the Alsdorf Collection Catalogue, cat. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1999, pp. 60-62, no. 2;  R. Gennaioli, Le gemme dei Medici al Museo degli Argenti, Florence, 2010, no. 427; M. Bialonowska (ed.), Andrzej Stansilaw Ciechanowiecki. Kolekcjoner, marszand i mecenas, Lublin, 2010, p. 75, fig. 42

We would like to thank Diana Scarisbrick for her assistance in cataloguing this lot.