Cameo of the Virgin and Child
ca. 1050–1100 (cameo); ca. 1800 (frame)
Medium
Agate cameo, gold frame
Dimensions
Overall: 3 1/16 x 2 1/8 x 1/4 in. (7.7 x 5.4 x 0.7 cm) w/out frame: 2 3/8 x 1 9/16 in. (6 x 4 cm)
Classification
Lapidary Work-Agate
Culture
Byzantine
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of John C. Weber, in honor of Mary and Michael Jaharis, 2007
Accession Number
2007.445
Tags
About this artwork
This exquisite Byzantine agate cameo depicts the Virgin Mary in the orant pose with her arms upraised in prayer, with a medallion of the Christ Child positioned over her chest. The delicate carving demonstrates the technical mastery of Byzantine gem cutters, who exploited the natural color variations in agate to create subtle pictorial effects. This icon type, known as the Blachernitissa after a famous icon at the Blachernai Monastery in Constantinople, represents the Virgin as intercessor and p...