ATTRIBUTED TO GIOVANNI AMBROGIO MISERONI (CIRCA 1551/1552-1616)BOHEMIAN OR ITALIAN, PRAGUE OR MILAN, CIRCA 1600 | High relief cameo with a Captive

with paper note inscribed The Slave in rose agate out of the Wertheimer collection, possibly a reference to Emile Wertheimer Collection of Renaissance Jewels sold Sotheby's London 13 July 1953

Overall the condition of the cameo is very good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The proper right arm is a lighter colour than the body. This is probably due to nature of the stone: having multiple strands of colours. The arm does not appear to be carved separately. The line at the proper right bicep is probably therefore not a joint but a vein or stable fissure. There are some naturally occurring inclusions in the stone including to below the bottom lip, to below the proper right arm, to below the rocky terrasse, and to the interior of the proper right leg. The gold is in very good condition with minor abrasions.
"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."

This remarkable jewel is superlative for the quality of its execution. Beautifully carved, it represents a chained captive, his bald head indicating that he is of Oriental origin, probably Ottoman or North African. The very particular rose coloured chalcedony with yellowish hue, seen at the left edge of the parapet, compares very closely with works by the celebrated hardstone carver Giovanni Ambrogio Miseroni, who worked alongside his brother, the Imperial stone-cutter Ottavio Miseroni. The stone, the facial features and the composition strongly compare with Miseroni's Statuette of a Reclining Venus with Cupid in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (inv. no. KK 1730). Note the manner in which Venus' arm crosses her body to connect with Cupid, just as the Captive reaches with his right hand across his body to an attribute held in his left hand. Both the Captive and Venus share the same full lips, fine nose, and incised eyes. Compare also with the Cover - again in the same red and yellow chalcedony - from the collection of Louis XIV, sold in these rooms on 6 July 2011, lot 6. The way in which the figures emerge from the stone, flanked by flowing drapery, compares well with the present cameo. The gold mount and chain resemble those from a small scent flask from the same circle and also in the Kunsthistorisches Museum (inv. no. KK 1752).

The iconography of the shackled prisoner is evident both in Classical and in Renaissance art. Compare, for example, with Giulio Romano's Chained prisoners, also shackled at the neck, from the Palazzo Te in Mantua (circa 1527-1528). The likely identity of the subject as an Ottoman Turk is given credence by the fact that the Turks were one of Catholic Europe's feared enemies, with the Battle of Lepanto having taken place in 1571. The subject was very current in the early 17th century, with Pietro Tacca representing four chained Moors or North Africans for his Monument to Ferdinand I of Tuscany in Livorno (1626), which commemorated the Grand Duke's victories over the Ottomans.

RELATED LITERATURE
P. Rainer, Splendour and Power: Imperial Treasures from Vienna, exh. cat. Wiener Kunstkammer, Vienna; Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim; Kunstmuseum of Sachsen-Anhalt, Halle; The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, 2011, pp. 198-203, nos 56-57; D. Scarisbrick, Portrait Jewels, London, 2011, p.33