THE MEANING BEHIND ROMAN CAMEO IMAGERY
Originating initially as engraved shells, eggs, and soft stones, cameos rose to prominence under the Hellenistic monarchies of the East (after the adoption of semi-precious stones). They reached the zenith of their popularity in the early Roman Principate, particularly in the reigns of the Julio-Claudian emperors, but they mostly faded in popularity thereafter until the medieval and Renaissance periods. It is believed that both their striking aesthetic and, later, their durability created a desire for
