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

MediumMicrocrystalline quartz, var. sardonyx; beryl group, var. emerald; gold

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 view

Collections