Cameo glass medallion of the emperor Augustus

A small oval cameo in white glass layered over deep blue, carved in relief to show a male bust with short, curled hair, a furrowed brow and a draped garment at the shoulders. The blue ground frames the head against a pale background.

Look closer: Small chips and losses along the edge of the white relief and the blue ground.

Artist

Unknown

Date

early 1st century CE

Medium

Glass

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

4000 × 4000 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1881