Glass cameo: head of Augustus
Oval disk in two layers of varying thickness with flat back, ground edge, and gently sloping upper surface; slight undercutting around edge to head; fused to disk, a carved head in high relief.
Head of beardless man in three-quarter view to right, wearing a laurel wreath; hair in flowing locks over forehead and to front of proper right ear, eyebrows with parting between bridge of nose, large almond-shaped eyes with small, round pupils, pointed nose, small mouth with pursed lips, and prominent chin.
Head intact; disk with broken off chip at bottom right; pinprick bubbles in head; larger bubbles in disk; very little weathering but some dulling on disk.
Artwork Details
- Title: Glass cameo: head of Augustus
- Period: Early Imperial, Tiberian
- Date: early 1st century CE
- Culture: Roman
- Medium: Glass
- Dimensions: Height: 1 1/8in. (2.9cm)
- Classifications: Gems, Glass
- Credit Line: The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
- Object Number: 74.51.4297
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
More Artwork
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
![Glass cameo: Dionysos and a nymph, Glass ? opaque on blue [sic]; purple [CSL], Roman](https://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/gr/web-additional/DP143795.jpg)
Related Content
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.
Content Notice
The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.