Gem

Object Number:

29-128-563

Current Location:

Rome Gallery

Culture:

Roman

Provenience:

Mediterranean

Period:

Late Antique Period
Imperial

Date Made:

300-399 AD

Early Date:

300

Late Date:

399

Section:

Mediterranean

Materials:

Green Jasper

Technique:

Intaglio

Iconography:

Alexander the Great
Nero
Inscription

Description:

Facing bust of the sun: above a hybrid marine creature (fish? crcocodile?) and flanked by laureate draped busts of an imperial nature. One could represent Alexander the great; the one on the right seems to show features of Nero as known from his coins. Both these romantic figures were popular in IVth century AD art, particularly on contoriates or political jetons. Inscription: Omega Delta over Xi Delta Upsilon. 1956 exhibition #306.

Height:

5.5cm

Width:

10cm

Credit Line:

Bequest of Maxwell Sommerville

Other Number:

563	-	Sommerville Gem Number
306	-	Vermeule Number (Sommerville Gems)

Current & Past Exhibitions:

Roman World (15 Mar 2003)

Bibliography:

[Book] Vermeule, Cornelius C. 1950. The Sommerville Gem Collection of the University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

[Book] Sommerville, Maxwell. 1877. Engraved Gems : Their Place in the History of Art.

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