Comments for Meaning of Overlapping Profiles Cameo Carvings

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Jugate Cameo It is!
by: Yvonne Hammouda-Eyre

Thank you Judith for pointing this out!

Gryllus/GRYLLOI (latter possibly Greek translation) could be seen as a reply to Pauson's caricature art.

Developed into the fantastical repulsive.

Jugate cameo portraits on the other hand are when profiles overlap another popularised by the ancient Romans.

So it means the cameo with overlapping profiles is a Jugate Cameo.

Thanks Judith for your insights!

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The Genuis of Ignoble Pauson Painter
by: Anonymous

Pauson was a Greek painter of whom very little is known, but who is of importance on account that he is mentioned by Aristotle in the following passage (Poet. 2.2), ὥσπερ οἱ γραφεῖς, Πολύγνωτος μὲν κρείττους, Παύσων δὲ χείρους, Διονύσιος δε ὁμοίους εἴκαζεν, which undoubtedly means that while, in painting men, Dionysius represented them just as they are - neither more nor less beautiful than the average of human kind, Polygnotus on the one hand invested them with an expression of ideal excellence, while Pauson delighted in imitating what was defective or repulsive, and was a painter of caricatures.

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0104:entry=pauson-bio-1

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Grylloi Update - Ingenious classical fun!
by: Yvonne Hammouda-Eyre

Multiple heads, usually bearded heads of philosophers - were much liked for the optical effect which meant they could be seen from several viewpoints; up of down, the head in the centre as one face, or two profiles.
This sort of ingenious fun was invented by the classical painter, Pauson, who according to Aelian Historical Miscellany, book 14, chapter 15 received a commission to paint a horse rolling on the ground, and he portrayed it running. The man who had commissioned the picture was annoyed at the breach of contract, but the artist replied " turn the panel upside down and the running horse will be rolling on the ground."

Scarisbrick, D., Historic Rings Four Thousand Years of Craftsmanship.

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Jugate cameo
by: Judith

While a gryllus (plural, grylli) is a grotesque compound fantastical creation composed of parts from several different creature, e.g., a man's head attached directly to chicken legs & perhaps a lion's tail for good measure) these overlapping profiles are called jugate compositions. They typically feature a classically armored man in the foreground & an undistinguished female companion behind.

The great model for these is the famous Gonzaga cameo, which you can find out about on line. The subject matter, compactness of the composition & the opportunity to make good use of banded agate would have made these a natural choice for use in men's rings, which are not usually set with the softer shell or coral cameos.

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Multiple Profiles in Cameo Art
by: Yvonne

Multiple overlapping profiles engraved onto cameo was first used for men's signet rings in the late 16th-17th centuries. It is called - GRYLLOI

Please see the blog post for more details titled

"The Grylloi Cameo & The Pauson - Picasso Illusion"

Cheers
Yvonne Hammouda-Eyre

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