Ring with narrow shaft and oval box set with cameo of Medusa
Roman Period
Not on view
Gorgoneia or Medusa-heads were ubiquitious until the end of Greco-Roman antiquity. They appeared in many contexts, including personal jewelry. On the one hand they might serve as protective amulets, but they also serve the wearer as a concise touchstone for a rich mythological substratum.
This Medusa head is carved in cameo technique, that is raised from the surface, rather than intaglio, that is sunken from the surface. Often as here cameos are also cut in banded stones that allow the carver to create an image and background of different colors.
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