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Cameo cutter:
Unknown
(Cameo)
Jeweller:
Giuliano, Carlo
(Frame)
Designer:
Novissimo, Pasquale
Second century Roman onyx cameo with white upper layer and dark lower layer, carved with a head of Medusa of Rondanini type. Shown frontally, the back left rough. Set by means of seven claws in an oval gold openwork frame enamelled black and white and alternately set with four pearls and four cobochon rubies. Suspended from the lower edge are a pearl, and an enamelled gold 'tassel' with a larger pearl at the end. At the top there is a ring and an enamelled gold loop for suspension.
History note: Unknown before testator
C.B. Marlay Bequest
Height: 8.2 cm
Width: 3.8 cm
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1912) by Marlay, Charles Brinsley
2nd Century
19th Century
Circa
100
CE
-
200
CE
This pendant unites a second century Roman Imperial cameo of Medusa with a Renaissance Revival style mount, by Carlo Giuliano one of the leading jewellers who worked in both the Renaissance and Archeological Revival styles. The mount is typical of Renaissance Revival designs by Pasquale Novissimo (1844-1914), a jeweller who worked with Carlo Giuliano in London. However the cameo may be a later addition to the mount, perhaps replacing a large cabochon stone, which were more common. Founded by Carlo Giuliano, who was born in Naples and had trained in Castellani’s workshop, the successful family firm of Giuliano was praised for the spirited and varied nature of its historicist jewellery. Its best-known work was made under the direction of Carlo Giuliano, between 1860 and 1895.
Mount
composed of
gold
( enamelled)
pearls
rubies
Cameo
composed of
onyx
Depth 0.9 cm
Height 2.5 cm
Width 2.6 cm
Inscription present: indistinct letters in oval
Accession number: MAR.M.276-1912
Primary reference Number: 119030
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Pendant" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/119030 Accessed: 2025-07-16 06:10:54
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/119030
|title=Pendant
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-07-16 06:10:54|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-119030
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center">
<figure class="figure">
<img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa37/MAR_M_276_1912_1_201711_amt49_dc2.jpg"
alt="Pendant"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Pendant</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
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