Roman emperor
Cameo
ca. 1800 (made)
ca. 1800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The art of engraving gemstones can be traced back to ancient Greece in the 8th century BC and earlier. Techniques passed down to the Egyptians and then to the Romans. There were major revivals of interest in engraved gems in Europe during the Byantine era, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. At each stage cameos and intaglios, these skillful carvings on a minute scale, were much prized and collected, sometimes as symbols of power mounted in jewelled settings, sometimes as small objects for private devotion or enjoyment. This gem is in the neo-classical style popular in the late 1700s and early 1800s, when taste in the arts echoed the subject matter and style of the Greek and Roman masters. Thousands of gems were made in this style in Italy and brought back by British Grand Tourists, who went there to visit the newly-discovered classical antiquities and archaeological sites. This cameo representing a Roman emperor, perhaps the Emperor Augustus (B.C. 63-A.D. 14), was made by an unknown artist in Italy around1800.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Roman emperor (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Engraved gemstone |
| Brief description | Cameo depicting bust of a Roman emperor, oval burnt jasper in gold mount; Italy, about 1800 |
| Physical description | Vertical oval cameo. Light, medium and darker brown burnt jasper. Depicting bust of a Roman emperor in profile to right. He is clean-shaven, with short curling hair. There is a band around his head which ties at the back. He wears a cuirass, decorated on the front with a Medusa head. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Historical context | Engraved gemstones of all dates were widely collected in Italy in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Many were brought back by British Grand Tourists, and important collections were formed. |
| Production | Previously thought to date from the 16th century. Attribution note: "The relief is separate from the ground, to which it is fastened by means of a pin in the orifice of the ear". Machell Cox. "Your cameo is indeed a burnt jasper (agate if you can get light to transmit through it or jasper if it is opaque). The discolouration will happen in certain conditions but usually when an alkali source is present, and some heat is also necessary or a great deal of time in the case of buried items. Your stone is of a type which I would date to the earliest at the late 17th century and possibly as late as the late 18th century. Sometimes they were burnt to look more convincing as ancient stones to be sold to the unwary on the Grand Tour as original ancient gems." Christopher Cavey in correspondence with Jo Whalley, May 2009. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | The art of engraving gemstones can be traced back to ancient Greece in the 8th century BC and earlier. Techniques passed down to the Egyptians and then to the Romans. There were major revivals of interest in engraved gems in Europe during the Byantine era, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. At each stage cameos and intaglios, these skillful carvings on a minute scale, were much prized and collected, sometimes as symbols of power mounted in jewelled settings, sometimes as small objects for private devotion or enjoyment. This gem is in the neo-classical style popular in the late 1700s and early 1800s, when taste in the arts echoed the subject matter and style of the Greek and Roman masters. Thousands of gems were made in this style in Italy and brought back by British Grand Tourists, who went there to visit the newly-discovered classical antiquities and archaeological sites. This cameo representing a Roman emperor, perhaps the Emperor Augustus (B.C. 63-A.D. 14), was made by an unknown artist in Italy around1800. |
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1430-1855 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | December 15, 2003 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
