Have you ever seen how cameos are made? If not, here are some shots I took during a visit of a cameo factory near Naples.
But before, some background information.
Dating back to the 3rd century BC, cameos were originally used for signet rings and large earrings. The classic designs were scenes of Greek or Roman mythology or portraits of important people.
Today, most cameos are carved into sea shells or layered agates, and showcase women's profiles. The master copy is always handmade and can take days to complete.
First, the artist selects the shell and cuts it into two parts, the less valuable of which will be used for souvenirs. The artist will focus on the "cup" because it is thicker and more richly colored.
After a cutter has further divided that "good" part, the carver smoothes and rounds the back of those pieces and attaches a wooden stick for better handling. Then, carving starts with a bullino or small dental drills.
Finally, the artist draws the subject on the shell and uses traditional tools to create the image.
Next stop: Pompeii!
More photos of my trip to Europe:
- Europe 2016 - Civitavecchia, Italy
- Europe 2016 - Sicily (1)
- Europe 2016 - Sicily (2)
- Europe 2016 - Sicily (3)
- Europe 2016 - Sicily (4)
- Europe 2016 - Delos, Greece (1)
- Europe 2016 - Delos, Greece (2)
- Europe 2016 - Delos, Greece (3)
- Europe 2016 - Mykonos, Greece (1)
- Europe 2016 - Mykonos, Greece (2)
- Europe 2016 - Turkey (1)
- Europe 2016 - Turkey (2)
- Europe 2016 - Turkey (3)
- Europe 2016 - Turkey (4)
- Europe 2016 - Turkey (5)
- Europe 2016 - Turkey (6)
- Europe 2016 - Turkey (7)
- Europe 2016 - Turkey (8)
- Europe 2016 - Turkey (9)
- Europe 2016 - Rhodes, Greece (1)
- Europe 2016 - Rhodes, Greece (2)
- Europe 2016 - Rhodes, Greece (3)
- Europe 2016 - Rhodes, Greece (4)
- Europe 2016 - Santorini, Greece (1)
- Europe 2016 - Santorini, Greece (2)
- Europe 2016 - Santorini, Greece (3)
- Europe 2016 - Athens, Greece (1)
- Europe 2016 - Athens, Greece (2)