Lotto 272 | A north italian medieval red marble cameo. Laureated male portrait. <br><br>11th century.

Bertolami Fine Art - Bertolami Fine Art, 1 Harewood Place 1, W1S 1BU Londra

A north italian medieval red marble cameo. Laureated male portrait. <br><br>11th century.

A north italian medieval red marble cameo. Laureated male portrait.

11th century.

Frontal portrait of a noble young man with a laurel wreath adorned with a central rosette. The young prince is characterized by large eyes with engraved iris, high cheekbones, small chin and pronounced mouth, within a triangular face. The hair long and wavy and falls to the sides of the face. The neck is protected by drapery with very thin and refined folds. His left eye and nose are slightly chipped. Wear marks. Deposits. The back of the cameo is characterized by an engraved trace near the edge of a coeval setting (diadem? casket?). The work was sculpted on a fine specimen of fossiliferous red marble, identifiable with the "Veronese red marble" (Rosso di Verona) from the north italian regions. This material was used starting from the affirmation of the court of Frederick I as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (1155-1190). The peculiar choice of this material, the characteristic engraving style of the period, and the iconography of the character, suggest a possible identification with a member of the imperial family. Rare.

25x30x9 mm.