Getty Museum

Cameo

Date

18th–19th century

Medium

Unidentified layered gemstone

Culture

Modern

Department

Jewelry

Institution

Getty Museum

The man depicted on this cameo wears a laurel wreath in his hair. Long ribbons, tying the wreath at the back of his head, fall down his neck and over his shoulders. Presumably, this was intended to be the portrait of a Roman emperor, but the features are not specific enough to indicate who it was meant to be. The face bears some resemblance to both Augustus and to his stepson and successor Tiberius. Several clues suggest the post-antique origin of this gem: the large size of the laurel leaves and the prominence of their central veins, the thick noodle-like ribbon ties of the wreath, the exaggerated contrast between the flat hair locks on the top of the head and the deeply-cut forehead curls, and the small size of the ear, which is hardly differentiated from the hair curls. Although this gem was created in imitation of ancient gems, whether or not it was intended to be a deliberate forgery is unknown. When it was made is uncertain; post-antique gems decorated with emperor portraits have been created since the Renaissance period, from the 1400s onwards.

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