Thank you all! Very informative. It was especially cool reading the 1903 description Glen posted (plus the part about rock crystal, "This kind of glass is used for bowels, decanters, and full table services."
).
I have a pretty different view of intaglio, one based on American cut glass designs and books. For one thing, I think regarless where you're from
true intaglio is cut, not molded. I realize there are companies that called pressed patterns intaglio, and I'm not surprised that carnival glass collectors also use the word, but the Italian it came from means incised (and synonyms). Call me a snob, but thats my stance!
Intaglio in America is deeply cut, first with stone wheels to quickly remove a lot of material, and then with copper wheels to finish it and add detail. Often part of the design is polished, usually a lot of it is left gray. Fruits and flowers are common motifs, sometimes also scenes and animals. It has more dimensionality than other types of engraving.
To me cameo isn't the opposite of intaglio because there isn't the same depth to the cutting (usually) in cameo. I think of cameo as having contrasting colors, but I realize that's not universal.
Not sure what the opposite is called...relief carving? The Germans keep it nice and simple, Tiefschnitt and Hochschnitt (deep cut and high cut).
Here are a few examples of what I think of as intaglio. A bowl by Hawkes, an unknown vase (probably European), a Bohemian tumbler, and my favorite, an unknown paneled bowl with lilies.
Topic: What does "intaglio" mean in the UK? (Read 5141 times)
