Filippo Tignani, an onyx cameo

Filippo Tignani, an onyx cameo, 1870, the black and white banded stone finely carved to depict Alexander the Great wearing a laureated helmet surmounted by a dragon, the reverse inscribed 'Tignani Filipp Incisore Romano li 10 8bre 1870', measuring 4.1 x 3.2cm, cameo signed F. Tignani Inc.

The iconography of a handsome male figure with long curling hair wearing an elaborate dragon-crested helmet was especially popular in 19th century cameo carving, and is commonly identified as Achilles (such as British Museum, collection no. 1978,1002.1049 from the Hull Grundy Collection, by Luigi Rosi). However, the dragon-topped helmet is traditionally associated with depictions of Alexander the Great, for example a relief of Alexander the Great in the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC from the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio (c.1435-1488), accession no. 1956.2.1