Casts from antique gems (9) 1785 - 1799

These nine casts of antique gems were made by James Tassie, probably in the late 18th century. He used a vitreous paste, a type of glass, to create these miniature portraits, carefully arranged and framed. Tassie was a master of replication, his work speaks volumes about the era's fascination with classical antiquity, and also its entrepreneurial spirit. Instead of carving each gem by hand, a laborious process reserved for highly skilled lapidaries, he developed a method of casting. This allowed for multiplication, and for a broader audience to access these refined images of ancient rulers and thinkers. The smooth, cool surface of the glass gives the faces a delicate, almost ethereal quality. The dark frame and red background serve to highlight the whiteness of the casts, emphasizing their classical origins. Tassie's innovative process turned ancient art into a commodity, blurring the lines between art, craft, and industry. It reminds us that even the most refined objects have a story to tell about labor, production, and consumption.