Roman brown agate cameo. Portrait-bust of Roman matron.

Roman cameo in brown agate (in transparency in honey colored shades). Portrait-bust of Roman matron. The specimen has several rifts: the upper section of the background is lost; the frontal section of the tunicate bust is fragmentary. These rifts are connected with ancient forced striking of the stone from the jewel in which it was encased, probably in barbarian period. The particular shape has a deep engraving carving between the head and the background and it gives a sculptural taste. Probably a golden foil covered the field, except the head. The effigy is well realised and it is characterized by refined anatomical volume (intense and harmonic even the small dimension). It could be ascribed to the Imperial portraiture of 3rd century A.D. The hair shape and the facial features find comparisons in the Julia Cornelia Paola effigy, wife of Elagabalus in 219-220. Comparison: Marble bust, Ephesus Museum, Selçuk (Turkey). mm 13 x 9 x 6
3rd century A.D.