The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
Cameo
ca. 1550 (made)
ca. 1550 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Shell cameos are much easier to cut than those made from gemstones. Also, the raw material is cheaper and easier to acquire. They were popular in the 16th century and then again in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the passion for carved gemstones led to a parallel explosion in the market for cheaper shell cameos. They are still popular today.
Charles V (1500–58) was Holy Roman Emperor from the age of 19. Around his neck, he wears the chivalric emblem of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The image was probably taken from an engraving.
Charles V (1500–58) was Holy Roman Emperor from the age of 19. Around his neck, he wears the chivalric emblem of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The image was probably taken from an engraving.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Cowrie shell (Cypraea), carved |
| Brief description | Cowrie shell cameo of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Italian, ca. 1550 |
| Physical description | Cameo of cowrie shell inscribed 'Carolus Imperator Quintus', depicting bearded bust of the Emperor Charles V wearing the Order of the Fleece. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'Carolus Imperator Quintus' (Inscription; decoration; Latin; inscribed; 16th century)
|
| Object history | Examined by Dr. Taylor of the Natural History Museum in August 1982, who identified shell as cowrie. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Shell cameos are much easier to cut than those made from gemstones. Also, the raw material is cheaper and easier to acquire. They were popular in the 16th century and then again in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the passion for carved gemstones led to a parallel explosion in the market for cheaper shell cameos. They are still popular today. Charles V (1500–58) was Holy Roman Emperor from the age of 19. Around his neck, he wears the chivalric emblem of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The image was probably taken from an engraving. |
| Bibliographic reference | Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1855. In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 5. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1433-1855 |
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| Record created | December 15, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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