⁹⁄₁₆ in. (1.4 cm.) long

Giorgio Sangiorgi (1886-1965), Rome, acquired and brought to Switzerland, late 1930s; thence by continuous descent to the current owner.

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Lot Essay

This cameo depicts Annia Galeria Faustina, or Faustina the Elder, who was the wife of the Emperor Antoninus Pius. Her wavy hair is bound in a diadem, brushed back and plaited, with a coiled bun at the top of her head. The style was employed for her portraits in various media, including in marble (see no. 245 in D.E.E. Kleiner, Roman Sculpture), coins (see no. 34 in D.E.E. Kleiner and S.B. Matheson, I Claudia, Women in Ancient Rome), and gems (see no. 170 in M.-L. Vollenweider and M. Avisseau-Broustet, Camées et intailles, Tome II, Les Portraits romains du Cabinet des médailles).