The Roman past in 7th/13th century Hama (Syria): A brass cast of a cameo with the portrait of Nero in the treasure of al-Malik al-Mansur II

This paper is devoted to a brass medal in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, as well as its original gem. Both these items merited renewed attention from a cultural, historical and archaeological point of view since they both deserve their own place in the history of collecting both in the East and in the West. Writing the cultural biography of the object(s) involved in this study was particular challenging since it represents a dual, interrelated history of which we had until recently only one part (the brass cast). It does, however, link Europe and the Middle East, and various historical periods. Combining different competences in Arabic and Islamic studies, Classical Archaeology and History of collecting, the three authors shed new light on the Roman gem, its Arabic inscription and the history and meaning of the brass cast.