cameo
- Museum number
- 1867,0507.484
- Title
- Object: The Blacas Cameo
- Description
-
Three-layered sardonyx cameo engraved with a portrait of Augustus wearing the aegis of Minerva and a sword-belt.
- Production date
- 14-20
- Dimensions
-
Height: 12.80 centimetres
-
Length: 9.30 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- He originally wore a laurel wreath; this was replaced, probably in the medieval period, with the current setting of jewels.
Provenance is unknown; the first recorded mention appears to be A.F. Gori, Gemmae antiquae ex thesauro Mediceo et privatorum Dactyliothecis Florentiae, I (Florence, 1731), 47-48, who describes it as being in the Strozzi cabinet in Florence.
Cf. unpublished thesis by Lara Schwarz, Van de rug af gezien. De Duc de Blacas camee in het British Museum (Amsterdam 1993)
- Location
- On display (G3)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2021-2022 27 July-21 March, London, BM G69a, Rivalling Rome: Parthian coins and culture (unable to open to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions)
1990 24 Mar-10 Jun, Australia, Canberra, National Gallery of Australia, Civilization: Ancient Treasures from the British Museum, cat. no.88
1990 28 Jun-23 Sep, Australia, Melbourne, Museum of Victoria, Civilization: Ancient Treasures from the British Museum, cat. no.88
2012 19 Jul-25 Nov, London, BM Shakespeare: Staging the World
2013 October - February 2014 Augusto exhibition at Scuderie del Quirinale, Rome
2014 March - July Reunion des musees nationaux - Grand Palais, Paris
2016-2017, Oct-May, Defacing the Past exhibition at BM
2024 15 Feb-2 Jun, London, BM, G3, Rediscovering gems: small wonders, big impressions
- Acquisition date
- 1867
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1867,0507.484