A GROUP OF TEN HARDSTONE, SHELL OR GLASS PASTE CAMEOS, ITALIAN AND FRENCH. EARLY TO MID 19TH CENTURY | A group of ten hardstone, shell or glass paste cameos, Italian and French. early to mid 19th century

comprising: 1. small agate, Catherine, Princess of Württemberg, 3 cm.,gold bracelet clasp frame; 2. shell, Mathilde Bonaparte, Princess of San Donato, by Paul Victor Lebas, signed: Paul Lebas, on truncation, 4.5 cm.; 3. agate three layer, Madame Mère, with veil, by Nicola Morelli, signed: Morelli, 4.7 cm., gadrooned gold frame; 4. citrine, Jerome Napoléon, King of Westphalia, by Nicola Morelli, signed: Morelli, 4.8 cm.; 5. large, glass paste, coloured layers, Napoléon I, Emperor of the French, wearing a laurel wreath, 7 cm.; 6. citrine, Catherine, Princess of Württemberg, by Nicola Morelli, signed: Morelli, 4.5 cm.; 7. agate four layer, jugate portrait of Napoléon I and Joséphine, Empress of the French, 2.4 cm. gold and blue enamel frame; 8. onyx, Napoleon I, 3 cm.; 9. agate four layer, Napoleon I, by Nicola Morelli, signed: Morelli, 3.4 cm.; 10. agate, probably Pauline Borghese, Princess of Sulmona, after Canova, 1.8 cm. on a rectangular plush-covered board

Eugénie, Empress of the French (1826-1920);
Prince Victor Napoléon (1862-1926);
Prince Louis Napoléon (1914-1997)

Related literature G.A. Guattani, Memorie enciclopediche romane, Rome, 1807, ii, pp.8/10;
R. Righetti, Incisori di gemme e cammei a Roma, Rome, 1954, pp. 50/1;
G.C. Bulgari, Argentieri, gemmari e orafi d’Italia, Roma, ii, Rome, 1959;
Lucia Pirzio Biroli Stefanelli, 'Nicola Morelli, Incisore in Pietre Dure, Accademico di Merito di S. Luca, Virtuoso del Pantheon', Bollettino dei Musei Comunali di Roma, 1992, vol.VI;
Lucia Pirzio Biroli Stefanelli, ‘Hardstone Gem Engraving in Rome: the great flowering of the 18th and 19th centuries’, exhibition catalogue, The Art of Gem Engraving, ed. Diana Scarisbrick, Japan, 2008, pp.319-322

1 is cracked longitudinally and 3 is cracked diagonally and has a small chip above the veil, 2 has a trace of haircrack above nose, 8 has small rounded crack on ground at 11.30, a result of change of stone layer; 9 has short trace of haircrack on chin and irregularity where colour of stone changes on ground at 10 o'clock; velvet is scuffed and has lost colour. Surface chips to enamel rim at 10 and 2 o'clock on 7. All would benefit from professional cleaning. Generally excellent condition and an extremely interesting and unusual group of cameos.
"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."

For information about Nicola Morelli, please see the footnote to the following lot. It should be noted that the citrine cameos are the only examples so far recorded by Morelli in this material. Paul Victor Lebas (1820-circa 1876) was a prominent mid-nineteenth century cameo carver who had trained first as an engraver and then under the scuptor Louis-Denis Caillouette. He worked for the Imperial family showing a cameo profile of the Empress at the Salon of 1853; an angelic cameo of the Prince Imperial, circa 1865, is now in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum (Ac. No. 40.20.16). His most famous work, however is a commesso portrait of the young Queen Victoria, executed after a portrait by Thomas Sully of 1839 and made in conjunction with Félix Dafrique (V & A , M. 340-1977)