ClassificationsGreek and Roman Art
Pair of Earrings with Cameo Gems Depicting Busts of Cupid
AAT Object Form/Functionpendant earrings
AAT Object Form/Functionbusts (general, figures)
AAT Object Form/Functiongems (worked stones)
AAT Object Techniquecameos (sculptures)
CultureRoman
PeriodImperial
Date3rd Century CE
Credit LineGift of the Estate of Michael J. Shubin
Dimensions1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm)
Object number2008.031.334A/B
Label TextUsed to adorn rather than to seal, cameos were often decorated with images of Cupid or his mother Venus, whose presence was appropriately thought to enhance the beauty of the wearer and make her (or him) more attractive to onlookers. In Greek and Latin literature, desire is often described as emanating from the eyes, and here, each Cupid turns his erotic gaze towards the face of the woman whose ears he adorns, prompting any viewer to turn his own loving look in the same direction.Exhibition HistoryMonsters, Demons & Winged Beasts: Composite Creatures in the Ancient World, Michael C. Carlos Museum, February 5 - June 19, 2011
Exuberance of Meaning: The Art Patronage of Catherine the Great (1762-1796), Georgia Museum of Art, Athens, Georgia, September 21, 2013 - January 5, 2014
Passion of the Empress: Catherine the Great's Art Patronage, Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, Washington, DC, February 15 - June 8, 2014
Making an Impression: The Art and Craft of Ancient Engraved Gemstones, Michael C. Carlos Museum, August 27 - November 27, 2022
Published ReferencesAsen Kirin, Exuberance of Meaning: The Art Patronage of Catherine the Great (1762-1796) (Georgia: Georgia Museum of Art, 2013), 190, number 47.
ProvenanceEx coll. Michael Shubin (1950-2008), Montebello, California.
Status
Not on viewCollections
- Greek and Roman Art
1st Century CE
2nd-3rd Century CE
1st-2nd Century CE
2nd Century CE
4th-5th Century CE
late 2nd-early 3rd Century CE
27 BCE-393 CE
mid to late 2nd century CE
2nd Century CE
ca. 1st Century CE
