Sardonyx cameo portrait of the Emperor Augustus

ca. 41–54 CE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 166

The cameo depicts Augustus as a triumphant demigod wearing the aegis, a cape usually associated with Jupiter and Minerva. Here, it is decorated with the head of a wind god, perhaps intended as a personification of the summer winds that brought the corn fleet from Egypt to Rome and so an oblique reference to Augustus’s annexation of Egypt after the defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 B.C.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Sardonyx cameo portrait of the Emperor Augustus
Period: Early Imperial, Claudian
Date: ca. 41–54 CE
Culture: Roman
Medium: Sardonyx
Dimensions: 1 7/16 × 1 1/8 × 5/16 in. (3.7 × 2.9 × 0.8 cm)
Classification: Gems
Credit Line: Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1942
Object Number: 42.11.30
Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

Audio

1074. Sardonyx cameo portrait of the Emperor Augustus

0:00

We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. Please email info@metmuseum.org to request a transcript for this track.

More Artwork

In the same gallery

In the same medium

From the same time and place

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Marble head of a Greek general, Marble, Pentelic ?, Roman — Marble head of a Greek general
Roman
1st–2nd century CE

Marble portrait of the emperor Caracalla, Marble, Roman — Marble portrait of the emperor Caracalla
Roman
212–217 CE

Marble portrait of the emperor Augustus, Marble, Roman — Marble portrait of the emperor Augustus
Roman
ca. 14–37 CE

Marble head of an athlete, Marble, Roman — Marble head of an athlete
Roman
ca. 138–192 CE

Marble head of a Hellenistic ruler, Marble, Roman — Marble head of a Hellenistic ruler
Roman
1st–2nd century CE

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 complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.