78 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Mithradates VI., with slight whiskers ; similar to No. 1G56 

 of Gem Catalogue, which has been called Augustus. 



113a. Green paste : head of Medusa of the Solon type to 

 left. 121. Sard : head of Antinous to right, inscribed 

 ANTINOOC ; mounted in enamelled ring. 122. Sard : bust 

 of Roman to right, inscribed 0<I>T. 123. Sard : female bust 

 to right, long flowing hair ; inscribed ONHC. 124. Sard : 

 head of Jupiter to right, laureate ; inscribed below neck 

 AYAOY. 125. Amethyst : Cupid sitting on ground with arms 

 tied behind his back at foot of trophy. Inscribed, AYAOY. 

 (Bracci, I., p. 169, pi. 32 ; Natter, Methode de Graver, pi. 24 ; 

 Raspe, 7114; Kohler, III., p. 165; Brunn. Griech. Kiinstler, II., 

 p. 549 ; Furtwangler in Jahrb. des Inst., 1889, p. 56). 126. Red 

 jasper : bearded Roman head to right ; fractured in upper 

 part. Inscribed NIaOC, (Pierres de Stosch, IV., No. 310 ; 

 Raspe, 11626 ; Brunn, Griech. Kiinstler, II., p. 623). 127. 

 Fragment of Onyx Vase with intaglio : remains of foot and 

 leg raised on rock with inscription, KAP DOS. Stephaniand 

 Brunn regard this inscription as the termination of a longer 

 name, and as the source whence modern engravers have copied 

 the supposed signature Karpos. (Raspe, 12,647 ; Stephani, in 

 Kohler, III., p. 327; Brunn, Griech. Kunstler, II., p. 615). 

 129. Rock-crystal : Nereid on hippocamp. 130. Amethyst, 

 very deeply cut : lion with deer under f orepaws ; the lion very 

 much foreshortened. Cf. same subject in Berlin Collection. 

 With this gem is a modern restoration in blue glass. 133. 

 Sard : Faustulus looking down at she-wolf suckling the twins ; 

 Romulus and Remus under a vine. 134. Sard, fragmentary 

 on right : Diomedes holding palladium beside pillar sur- 

 mounted by statue. 138. Amethyst : head of Faustina the 

 younger to right. 139. Red jasper : head of Faustina the 

 elder to right. 140. Sard, fractured : bust of Lucilla (Cleopatra ? ) 

 to right. 141. Lapis lazuli : bust, bearded and laureate to 

 right. 154. Sard ; tragic mask to right ; below, pedum and 

 star ; in front AOPY. 



3. Renaissance and later Gems : — 



This section consists of 110 specimens, which may be divided 

 into the following classes : — 1. Representations of various 

 subjects, sometimes antique, but in the style of periods in 

 which they were executed. 2. Contemporary portraits. 3. Imi- 

 tations of the antique. 



The most important gem in the first class, and indeed in this 

 section of the collection, is an oval cameo in sardonyx of three 

 strata (No. 176), representing Noah and his family preparing 

 to enter the Ark (Gori, Thesaurus Diptychorum, front., 

 Tassie, No. 13,831, King's Handbook, p. 52). This is a com- 

 position of nine figures, of excellent design, with animals in 

 the spaces, and an ark resembling a mediaeval shrine, on the 

 doors of which is inscribed lavr. med., showing that the 

 gem was made for, or belonged to, I-.orenzo de' Medici. It has 



been 



