Some texts are currently available in German only. We apologize
for any inconvenience. Fri 27 July 2007 - Sun 25 May 2008 Ever
since their invention in the 3rd century BC, images carved as
raised reliefs from precious stones - called cameos - have been
regarded as an epitome of luxury. A cameo was worn as jewellery
or displayed in a large metal frame. Where these masterly gems
showed pictures of mythical gods and heroes, they often
represented encoded messages of claims of superiority and
mythical legitimations of power. For this reason, many cameos
have survived ancient times, were never buried, were frequently
re-worked and re-used. This is the first exhibition in which the
Berlin Collection of Classical Antiquities presents a selection
of its cameos - lustrous masterpieces from the period of
antiquity to the 19th century otherwise safeguarded in a
strongbox. The Art Institute in Chicago has generously lent two
previously missing state cameos of Roman emperors. The gemcutter
Gerhard Schmidt provides copies