Inspiration: Cameos

1. Cameos Galore!, 2. Swan Lake Cameo Necklace, 3. Cameo neckpiece, 4. Brass, Cameo and Pearls Earrings

Ever since I was a little girl I've had a fascination with cameos. There is just something so charming and feminine about them. In fact, I still have my very first cameo stashed away in a trinket box somewhere, it's a chipped little pink and white plastic thing that I salvaged from the trash. I felt just like a little princess when I would hold it.

Did you know that while the most popular cameos today are those carved shells displaying predominantly women's profiles, cameos were once frequently commissioned and worn by men? Dating back as far as 300BC cameos often depicted famous rulers, heroes, and gods. Larger pieces would often depict biblical and other historical events. It wasn't until the nineteenth century that the shell carved profiles that are so popular today came into vogue. If you want to know more about cameos, The Cameo Collection has a page full of historical tidbits.

Speaking of cameos, have you seen the most recent issue of Victoria Magazine? I was ecstatic to find that Livy of A Field Journal is to be this year's artist in residence. Her project in this issue are some lovely paper cameos that you can read more about here on her blog.