Tuesday, April 3, 2012

C is for Cameo Carving - Found Poem

Cameo Carving

What is a cameo?
A gem carved in relief
A brief appearance
A decorative object

Origins 3rd-4th century
19th century - Roman school
Always used hard stone
Cameos a work of art

The best masters
Did not consider shells precious.
Later, jewelry cameos
Led to mass production.

All unique pieces
Despite the fact that some are mass produced
Shells cannot be carved by hand alone
Every shell cameo is different.

Specialized artisans
Carving hair, hands, or noses
A whole team's experience and skills
A finished cameo.

Master Carver
His or her hands transform
A piece of shell
Into elegant precious sculptures

Delicate and diaphanous portraits
Mythological scenes
True collectables,
A difficult art disappearing.

According to old masters
This painstaking art
Out of step with the frenetic
Rhythm of our times.



The text for this found poem can be found at http://www.cascosrl.it/en.whatiscameo.htm

Cameo was the word I found during my dictionary hike.