Cameo On Agate, Female Profile In The Classical Style, 19th Century

Cameo on agate, female profile in the classical style, 19th century

Cameo carved from banded agate, depicting a female profile turned to the left in relief. The subject is rendered in the classical style: hair pulled back and held in place by a headband, wavy strands framing the forehead and curls falling down the nape of the neck, an ear adorned with a teardrop-shaped pendant, and a neck adorned with a string of pearls.

The carving makes use of the stone’s natural layering, with the white motif standing out against a translucent brown background with visible veins, the whole framed by a border of darker agate. The polished reverse reveals the characteristic layered structure of banded agate—dark brown, white, and translucent—as well as a concentric inclusion and fine natural fractures typical of the material. The modeling of the face and the detailed rendering of the hairstyle attest to meticulous gem-carving work.