Italy, Roman / 25 BCE - 100 CE
Cameo: Head of Diana
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Cameo: Head of Diana as glass (Italy, Roman · 25 BCE - 100 CE).
Ancient glass did not glitter; the iridescent film on this cameo developed over thousands of years.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this glass as glass.
The museum's collection notes: This cameo depicts the Roman Goddess of the Hunt, Diana, known as Artemis to the Greeks. She faces left with her hair bound at the back of her head, her signature quiver of arrows visible over her shoulder. Roman cameo glass was made by fusing layers of different colored glass on top of one another, then carving down to reveal each different color. There are at least four layers of glass in this cameo: a dark layer for the hair, a whitish layer for the skin, middle tone for the background, and a dark purple for the base.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtCameo: Head of DianaOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.