SARDONYX CAMEO OF SELENE (?), 193-217 CE. THE BRITISH MUSEUM This big (c. 10x14cm) cameo was probably a court commission, given its size. It shows a goddess with her chlamys billowing out behind her, in a small chariot being pulled rightward by two beautifully-carved bulls. They are going at a rapid trot and the front hooves of both are up in the air. The goddess, by comparison, is rather weakly carved, with shapeless arms and a profile that does not help us identify her, a problem worsened by damage to her crown and sceptre. Her hair suggests the Marcel waves of a Severan empress, like Julia Domna, from a prominent family from Emesa in Syria. This might be the Goddess Syria, a flattering tribute to the empress. She could also be the moon goddess Selene. The cameo's 3-level stratification, an ivory white layer between two red layers, mostly eliminates the topmost red layer, leaving its traces on the haunch of one bull and in the creases of the bulls' coats. Julia Domna was just the first powerful empress of her family, and she was accorded special titles and honours, especially in the latter part of the reign of her husband Septimius Severus. She was practically co-ruler with her son Caracalla. Whoever the goddess was, Domna was the one driving the chariot of state, with its uncontrollable problems pulling her and her family forward.
For #ReliefWednesday, among the splendours of the #BritishMuseum we find this quite large #sardonyx #cameo showing a goddess in a chariot pulled by two restless bulls. The size suggests an imperial commission of the #Severan period. Maybe Julia #Domna as #Selene or the Dea Syria. #AncientBluesky 🏺
