MYTHS AND LEGENDS

Classical Greek and Roman mythology has been an inspiration for cameo carvers for centuries. Most of the ancient Greek stories were taken into the Roman mythology, sometimes with subtle alterations and additions. These differences can cause great difficulty in the interpretation of some traditional carvings, and often the true meanings die with the artist. 

Some of the everyday profiles that abound have their origins in the portrayal of deities, even if they have only retained a symbol, such as a dove,(Aphrodite) a moon,(Diana) or a flower,(Flora). All the deities had their own personal emblems, or attributes.  

  The following are some of the ancient gods and goddesses that are the favourite choices of ancient and modern carvers alike. Most can be found depicted on cameos in the Di Cara Collection.

 Zeus,(Jupiter) King of the Olympian gods, and his wife, Hera(Juno), Apollo, god of music,    Ares(Mars), god of war, Aphrodite (Venus) goddess of Love , her son Eros(Cupid), god of love, Eos (Aurora), goddess of the dawn, Demeter(Ceres), goddess of the harvest and fertility, Dionysus (Bacchus), the God of wine and fertility, with his followers , the Bacchanales, and Artemis (Diana), goddess of hunting and childbirth.  Other minor deities and beings such as The Vestal Virgins, Tyche(Fortuna), Leda, Daphne and Hebe can also often be found in modern cameos. (Roman names are given in brackets)

 The frescoes that abound in the unearthed ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum also provide subjects for the carvers' art. Scenes from Ancient Pompeii and cherubs or putti  taken from these frescoes can be found on many cameos. Famous paintings were often copied, in whole, or part, such as The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, or Boticelli's The Birth of Venus, and Primavera (Spring): from  the last, the detail of the Three Graces is often taken. The carver Cirillo produces exquisitely detailed cameos, as small as 35mm oval, after the work of the French artist Boucher.

Victorian cameos were often thought to hold some message for, or attribute of, the recipient, such as Lover of Music. Sometimes a cameo is just the expression of the innermost feelings of the artist, and, like any work of art, its interpretation and appreciation is in the eye and mind of the beholder.  

We provide further information about individual myths and legends on custom made counter cards for our customers. If you have a query about a cameo you own, why not show your nearest stockist ? Knowing the story behind a cameo enables you to appreciate even more the centuries of tradition behind the making of a cameo.