An ancient Roman sardonyx cameo depicting Emperor Septimius Severus and his wife Julia Domna, circa 207-211 CE.
The cameo was set in a richly decorated frame within a gold pendant from the early modern period. Below, we see a gorgoneion (the winged head of the Gorgon Medusa)—an amulet that protected the royal couple from evil. The cameo itself is just over 2 cm tall.
The second photo is also remarkable, revealing an unexpected angle where we see that although Julia Domna is depicted over the emperor's shoulder, her portrait is actually also in the foreground and even closer to the viewer than Septimius Severus himself. Indeed, according to historians, Julia Domna wielded great influence over the emperor.
The cameo and the rights to the photographs belong to the private collection of James Ferrell, USA.