Zeus and Hera
Cameo
ca. 1820 (made)
ca. 1820 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
An intaglio carving is cut into the surface of the material and a cameo is in relief. The art of gemstone carving was known in ancient Greece and Rome and revived in Renaissance Italy, when connoisseurs began to form rich collections of engraved stones. Shell cameos, which were cheaper and more easily worked, became fashionable in the 19th century. Many were bought by tourists as souvenirs.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Zeus and Hera (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Onyx, in gold ring |
| Brief description | Cameo, onyx, of Zeus and Hera, Italy, ca. 1820 |
| Physical description | The head of a woman wearing a diadem looking to the left; the head of a man, bearded, moustached, and wearing a chaplet of laurel leaves, looks to the right. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Miss M. Ready |
| Object history | Bequeathed by Miss F.T. Ready through Stibbard, Gibson and Co., Baltic House, Leadenhall Street, London, in 1959. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | An intaglio carving is cut into the surface of the material and a cameo is in relief. The art of gemstone carving was known in ancient Greece and Rome and revived in Renaissance Italy, when connoisseurs began to form rich collections of engraved stones. Shell cameos, which were cheaper and more easily worked, became fashionable in the 19th century. Many were bought by tourists as souvenirs. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.6-1959 |
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| Record created | March 16, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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