Cameo: Head of a Woman

1–100 CE

Italy, Roman

Medium

amethyst

Measurements

Overall: 4.6 cm (1 13/16 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna Jr. 1958.92

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Location

103 Roman

Did You Know?

The metal setting is modern; this gem was likely originally a roundel.

Description

This carved amethyst cameo depicts a woman wearing a laurel wreath and a palla, a cloak worn by Roman noblewomen. The palla is tucked behind the woman’s ears and is visible over her right shoulder. She may have been a member of the Julio-Claudian imperial family or a wealthy private individual. In her hairstyle, straight nose, and small but full mouth the woman closely resembles portrait cameos identified as Antonia Minor, niece of the emperor Augustus and mother of the emperor Claudius. Only elite Romans could use amethyst; true purple stones had to be imported to Rome at great expense.

$A carved amethyst cameo depicts a woman's face in high relief, tilted slightly to our right. Her curly hair is bound by a leaf wreath above downcast eyes and a straight nose. The translucent, dark purple stone has irregular, jagged edges and is mounted on a circular gold plate with a suspension ring. Her mouth is set in a neutral line, while internal fractures and deep violet hues wind through the stone's surface.$