Cameo: Head of Diana

25 BCE - 100 CE

Italy, Roman

Medium

glass

Measurements

Overall: 3.7 x 3.3 cm (1 7/16 x 1 5/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Klejman 1965.465

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Location

103 Roman

Did You Know?

Ancient glass did not glitter; the iridescent film on this cameo developed over thousands of years.

Description

This cameo depicts the Roman Goddess of the Hunt, Diana, known as Artemis to the Greeks. She faces left with her hair bound at the back of her head, her signature quiver of arrows visible over her shoulder. Roman cameo glass was made by fusing layers of different colored glass on top of one another, then carving down to reveal each different color. There are at least four layers of glass in this cameo: a dark layer for the hair, a whitish layer for the skin, middle tone for the background, and a dark purple for the base.