Roman Emperor Galba
Cameo
1575-1600 (made)
1575-1600 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The art of engraving gemstones has been admired since the early days of the Roman empire. It was revived in Europe during the Renaissance, and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. Cameos and intaglios were prized and collected, sometimes as symbols of power and mounted. This cameo once belonged to the 2nd Earl of Arundel, who assembled a famous gem cabinet in the 1630s. Later it became the property of the 4th Duke of Marlborough (1739–1817), owner of the greatest private gem collection ever formed in Britain. It included over 700 gems, about 230 of them from the Arundel collection.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Roman Emperor Galba (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Sardonyx (layered agate), in later gold setting |
| Brief description | Roman Emperor Galba, cameo, Italy, ca. 1575-1600 |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh, FSA |
| Object history | Given by Dr W.L Hildburgh, F.S.A. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | The art of engraving gemstones has been admired since the early days of the Roman empire. It was revived in Europe during the Renaissance, and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. Cameos and intaglios were prized and collected, sometimes as symbols of power and mounted. This cameo once belonged to the 2nd Earl of Arundel, who assembled a famous gem cabinet in the 1630s. Later it became the property of the 4th Duke of Marlborough (1739–1817), owner of the greatest private gem collection ever formed in Britain. It included over 700 gems, about 230 of them from the Arundel collection. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.31-1937 |
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| Record created | April 14, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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