Cameo with Nike and chariot

The background of this cameo is a deep, dark brown, the middle layer is a blue-white, and the foreground is a lighter, more translucent brown. To achieve this painterly effect rendering Nike and the biga in different colors, the artist had to carve one layer at a time, beginning with the outermost brown horse, before cutting deeper to the next bluish white color to illustrate Nike, the chariot, and the second horse. Cameos carried connotations of wealth given the time-consuming and artistically demanding nature of their creation. As such, cameos were often set into rings and pendants that functioned as public-facing framing devices. Warren’s many donations of gems and cameos underscore his interest in luxury items and the leisure culture of the ancient Mediterranean world.