Cameo Portraying Emperor Claudius as Jupiter
Cameo: Roman, mid-first century Mount: Italian, late 16th century
Medium
Cameo: sardonyx Mount: gold, pearls, and enamel
Dimensions
7.6 × 5.7 × 0.8 cm (3 × 2 1/4 × 11 in.)
Classification
jewelry
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
111809
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This intricate cameo is carved from a piece of sardonyx, a mineral composed of parallel colored bands. The figure at the center is depicted with the portrait head of an emperor from the Julio-Claudian dynasty (27 BCE–68 CE) and the idealized, partially nude body of the supreme deity Jupiter (the Greek god Zeus). He holds the god’s scepter and thunderbolt while an eagle, Jupiter’s companion animal, perches at his feet. Created for circulation among members of the imperial court, the cameo boldly ...
About the Artist
Ancient Roman
The artists attributed to "Ancient Roman" in museum collections represent the anonymous craftsmen who produced the vast output of sculpture, frescoes, mosaics, and reliefs defining Roman visual culture from the Republic (c. 509–27 BCE) to the late Empire (c. 395 CE). Individual identities remain elusive, as Roman makers were typically viewed as skilled tradesmen—often enslaved Greeks or provincial...