Antique Gold and Lava Cameo Earrings Carved by J.A. Greenough

Antique Gold and Lava Cameo Earrings Carved by J.A. Greenough, Boston, Massachusetts, 1853, each depicting a "fancy head," the carvings lg. 11/16 in., reverse inscribed and dated.

Note: A photocopy of a Greenough letter from the Boston Athenaeum Archives dated 1848 accompanies the lot. J.A. Greenough (active c. 1848-79) apparently learned the art of cameo carving during time spent in Italy. Examples of his work can be found in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and The Victoria & Albert Museum, London.