ATTRIBUTED TO OTTAVIO MISERONI (1568-1624) AND WORKSHOPBOHEMIAN, PRAGUE, CIRCA 1600 | Erotic cameo with a sleeping nymph

accompanied by an old label inscribed: Erotische Steinarbeit 16. Jht. / Italien in der Art des Steinschneiders / Miseroni, Giovanni 1551-1616 Mailand / Lagenachat

Overall the condition of the stone is very good, with minor wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age, with particular dirt in some of the crevices. There are a few very slight abrasions, notably to the outer edge. There is an area of natural inclusions to the stone at the top on the reverse. There is wear to the box, consistent with age.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This intriguing cameo is a rare example of an overtly erotic subject attributable to the Miseroni, the most prestigious family of hardstone carvers around 1600. The sleeping nude's pose and anatomy immediately recall the chalcedony Venus and Cupid in a shell attributed to Giovanni Ambrogio Miseroni, which was sold in these rooms on 6 July 2011 as lot 6. Stylistically, however, the cameo finds a closer comparison in the work of Giovanni Ambrogio's brother, Ottavio, who led the branch of the family workshop at Rudolf II's court in Prague. Compare, in particular, the broad facial type, summarily carved hands, and heavy limbs in Ottavio's chalcedony statuette of Mary Magdalene in the Kunsthistorisches Museum (inv. no. 1723). While the explicit rendering of the woman's pubis in the present cameo does not seem to appear in other surviving Miseroni works, it is by no means unique in 16th-century hardstone carving; see a shell cameo with Jupiter, Venus and Cupid in the Museo degli Argenti, Florence (Gennaioli, op. cit., p. 198, no. 109). The possibility that the present cameo could have formed part of Rudolf II's Kunstkammer is tantalising.

RELATED LITERATURE
R. Distelberger, Die Kunst des Steinschnitts: Prunkgefässe, Kameen und Commessi aus der Kunstkammer, exh. cat. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, 2002, pp. 261-262, no. 145; R. Gennaioli, Le gemme dei Medici al Museo degli Argenti, Cammei e Intagli nelle collezioni di Palazzo Pitti, Florence, 2007, pp. 188 and 198; P. Rainer, Splendour & Power: Imperial Treasures from Vienna, exh. cat. The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, 2011, pp. 60-73