ClassificationsGreek and Roman Art
Intaglio Gem Depicting an Armed Aphrodite
CultureGreek, Ptolemaic
PeriodRoman
Date1st Century BCE
MediumGarnet group, almandine
Credit LineGift of the Estate of Michael J. Shubin
Dimensions9/16 x 7/16 x 3/16 in. (1.5 x 1.1 x 0.4 cm)
Object number2012.032.015
Label TextKnown as Venus Victrix (‘Bringer of Victory’), the image of a semi-nude Venus holding a helmet and spear with a shield at her feet and her drapery slung low around her thighs was deployed on coins and as a personal seal device by Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE) (Cassius Dio 43.43). Promoting his claimed descent from the goddess and demonstrating her support for his cause, the motif was widely replicated on gems, presumably by those wanting to express allegiance to the Julian family. This Venus, however, holds a theater mask instead of a helmet. This suggests that donning armor was akin to assuming a character, and on an intaglio perhaps hints at how putting on a gem could also be a means of protecting and projecting identity.Exhibition HistoryMaking an Impression: The Art and Craft of Ancient Engraved Gemstones, Michael C. Carlos Museum, August 27 - November 27, 2022
MCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, November 7, 2023 - Present
Published ReferencesGorny & Mosch, Kunst der Antike, Auktion 140 (21. Juni 2005), 80-81, lot 197.
ProvenanceEx coll. Michael Shubin (1950-2008), Montebello, California, purchased from Gorny & Mosch, Munich, Germany, Auktion 140, June 21, 2005, lot 197.
Status
On viewCollections
- Greek and Roman Art
1st Century BCE-1st Century CE
mid 3rd Century BCE
1st Century BCE
1st Century BCE
1st Century BCE
late 1st-2nd Century CE
2nd Century CE
2nd Century BCE
2nd Century BCE
