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 equated the ruler’s power over the Roman Empire to that of Jupiter over the entire cosmos.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 150
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Department
- Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium
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Culture
- Ancient Roman
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Title
- Cameo Portraying Emperor Claudius as Jupiter
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Place
- Italy (Object made in)
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Date
- 41 CE–54 CE
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Medium
- Cameo: sardonyx Mount: gold, pearls, and enamel
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Dimensions
- 7.6 × 5.7 × 0.8 cm (3 × 2 1/4 × 11 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Marilynn B. Alsdorf
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Reference Number
- 1991.375
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/111809/manifest.json