Italian Two Layered Carved Lava Stone Cameo of the Roman Emperor Titus (1600 to 1700 Italy)

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Lava Stone Cameo

Cameos in a series of Emperors both ancient and contemporary were popular subjects in the 16th and early 17th centuries. They were used to decorate vessels and sometimes pieces of furniture such as the ebony cabinet with shell cameos in the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Titus was Emperor of Rome from AD 79 to 81, the elder son of Vespasian he was brought up at court along with Britannicus, Claudius’ son. He had considerable physical and intellectual gifts, especially in music and singing and at one stage some viewed him as potentially a second Nero. When he died on 13th September 81 AD, he was remembered with affection as the ‘delight and darling of the human race’ (Suetonius Tit’ 1).

A Rare Italian Two Layered Carved Lava Stone Cameo of the Roman Emperor Titus
Shown in profile to the left (sinister)
Mounted in a later silver frame
17th Century

Size: 6cm high, 5cm wide – 2½ ins high, 2 ins wide