Yves Saint Laurent Pierre Bergé - Christie's

182
Cameos
Among the extensive collection of cameos in the sale, several are of historical
importance, but perhaps none more so than a beautifully carved portrait of
a bearded warrior. This cameo was part of the celebrated collection known
as the Marlborough Gems formed by George, 4th Duke of Marlborough
(1739–1817). Considered by contemporaries to be the most important private
collection of cameos in existence, it consisted of approximately 800 items.
One third of these came from the collection of the Gonzaga Dukes of Mantua
via the Earls of Arundel, while another third came from the mid-18th-century
collection of Lord Bessborough. The remainder was collected by Marlborough
himself, largely during his travels in Italy. The present cameo was engraved in
the 18th-century catalogue of the collection, and was sold in 1899 by Christie’s.
A carved oval onyx cameo bust of a bearded warrior in an openwork oval gold frame of trailing tendrils interspersed with
twelve coloured stones in oval collets, 16th century, 4 3 ⁄4 in. (12 cm.) high. Estimate: 38,000–12,000