Cameo with Hercules and the Nemean Lion within a Garland
Unknown Artist
ca. 1220–40
Medium
Sardonyx with modern gold frame
Dimensions
Overall: 1 5/8 x 1 7/16 x 5/16in. (4.2 x 3.6 x 0.8cm)
Classification
Lapidary Work-Sardonyx
Culture
South Italian
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Milton Weil Collection, 1938
Accession Number
38.150.23
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the medieval world through this stunning *Cameo with Hercules and the Neme Lion within a Garland*, a masterful sardonyx gem carved in South Italy around 1220–40. The intaglio relief captures the mighty hero Hercules in fierce combat with the Nemean Lion— first of twelve legendary labors—framed by an ornate floral garland that adds a touch of elegance. Measuring just 1 5/8 x 1 7/16 inches, this tiny treasure showcases the precision of lapidary work, where artisans exploited sardonyx's layered bands of white and brown chalcedony to create striking raised figures against a contrasting b...