Portrait Medallion (Phalera) of a Julio-Claudian Prince

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Portrait Medallion (Phalera) of a Julio-Claudian Prince

Place of OriginProbably Italy

DateFirst quarter of the 1st century CE

DimensionsDiam: 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm); Max Thickness: 3/8 in. (1 cm)

MediumMold-pressed blue glass, cast in an open, one-piece mold, fire-polished, with tooling marks on the underside.

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1646

Not on View

DescriptionA circular dark blue glass phalera featuring a frontal bust of a Julio-Claudian prince, possibly Germanicus, wearing a cuirass with epaulettes. To his right, a three-quarter head of a child remains; the matching head to the left is lost. The upperside is convex, while the underside is flat but uneven, with creases and fold marks in the glass.

Label TextThis glass phalera, or military decoration, was crafted in the first quarter of the first century CE and likely depicts a Julio-Claudian prince, possibly Germanicus, with his son, Tiberius Gemellus. Roman phalerae were typically affixed to armor or worn as military awards, signifying the recipient’s loyalty or achievements. The Toledo phalera, molded in dark blue glass, features a central portrait bust clad in a cuirass, flanked by two smaller heads (one now missing). Scholars have suggested this example may represent Drusus Minor and his twin sons, suggesting it was issued ca. 20 CE. Similar medallions have been found at Vindonissa, a major Roman military site, reinforcing the interpretation that such objects were awarded to soldiers serving on the frontier.Published ReferencesBoschung, Dietrich, "Römische Glasphalerae mit Porträtbüsten," Bonner Jahrbucher 187, 1987, no. 18, p. 241, Abb. 64.

Ferrari, Gloria, "Felicior Augusto: portrait medallions in glass and the Ravenna relief," Opuscula Romana XVII: 4, 1989, pp. 35, 59, fig. 5, p. 37. pam file

Grose, David F., Early Ancient Glass: Core-Formed, Rod-Formed, and Cast Vessels and Objects from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Roman Empire, 1600 B.C. to A.D. 50, New York, Hudson Hills Press in association with the Toledo Museum of Art, 1989, cat. no. 676, p. 371.