The incredible but true story of the Gemma Constantiniana

Date

Place

Events

315

Rome

Cameo made in honour of Constantine’s victory over his rival Maxentius in AD 312. It served as a present on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Emperor's accession, in 315

330?

Constantinople

Roman capital transferred from Rome to Constantinople, cameo probably taken there.

1204

Constantinople

4th Crusade, sack of Constantinople. Cameo taken to France?

1204-1622

France?

Unknown, probably in a monastery or church in France

1622

Antwerp

Cameo in possession of Peter-Paul Rubens, great Baroque painter and collector of ancient cameos

1628

Antwerp

Frame with gems added by Theodoor Rogiersz in Antwerp.

1628, Oct

Amsterdam

Taken to Gaspar Boudaen in Amsterdam to be sold to the Great Mogul of India.

1628, Oct 28

Texel

The Batavia under command of Francisco Pelsaert leaves Texel with the Great cameo as its most valuable item.

1629, Jun 4

Abrolhos Islands, off the coast of Western Austalia

At about 5 a.m. on 4 June 1629 the Dutch ship the Batavia, belonging to the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie - VOC), on its way to Java with 316 people on board, struck Morning Reef in the Wallabi Group of the Abrolhos Islands, about sixty kilometres off the central west coast of Western Australia.

1629,

Jun 4 – Sep 17

Abrolhos Islands, off the coast of Western Austalia

Cameo in possession of the mutineers of the infamous Batavia Mutiny. In the absence of captain Pelsaert the mutineers, led by Jeronimus Cornelisz, callously murdered about 110 men, women and children, in many cases with horrific savagery and cruelty. Cornelisz never committed any of the murders himself, although he tried and failed to poison a baby (who was eventually strangled). Instead, he used his powers of persuasion to coerce others into doing it for him, firstly under the pretense that the victim had committed a crime such as theft. Eventually, the mutineers began to kill for pleasure, or simply because they were bored. He planned to reduce the island's population to around 45 so that their supplies would last as long as possible.

Although Cornelisz had left the soldiers, led by Wiebbe Hayes, to die, they had in fact found good sources of water and food on their islands. Initially, they were unaware of the barbarity taking place on the other islands and sent pre-arranged smoke signals announcing their finds. However, they soon learned of the massacres from survivors fleeing Cornelisz' island. In response, the soldiers devised makeshift weapons from materials washed up from the wreck. They also set a watch so that they were ready for the mutineers, and built a small fort out of limestone and coral blocks.

Cornelisz seized on the news of water on the other island, as his own supply was dwindling and the continued survival of the soldiers threatened his own success. He went with his men to try to defeat the soldiers marooned on West Wallabi Island. However, the trained soldiers were by now much better fed than the mutineers and easily defeated them in several battles, eventually taking Cornelisz hostage. The mutineers who escaped regrouped under a man named Wouter Loos and tried again, this time employing muskets to besiege Hayes' fort and almost defeated the soldiers.

But Wiebbe Hayes' men prevailed again, just as Pelsaert arrived in the rescue ship the Saardam. A race to the rescue ship ensued between Cornelisz's men and the soldiers. Wiebbe Hayes reached the ship first and was able to present his side of the story to Pelsaert. After a short battle, the combined force captured all of the mutineers.

1629, Oct 2

Abrolhos Islands, off the coast of Western Austalia

Cameo retrieved from mutineers. Pelsaert decided to conduct a trial on the islands, because the Saardam on the return voyage to Batavia would have been overcrowded with survivors and prisoners. After a brief trial, the worst offenders were taken to Seal Island and executed. Cornelisz and several of the major mutineers had both hands chopped off before being hanged on October 2. Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom de Bye, were considered only minor offenders and were abandoned on the Western Australian coast, probably at the mouth of Hutt River, about 450 kilometres north of where Perth now stands. They were provided with a boat, food, toys and trinkets to trade, and a set of instructions. Thus they became the first Europeans to take up residence in Australia, and their instructions directed them to “make themselves known to the folk of this land.” Reports of unusually light-skinned Aborigines in the area by later British settlers have been suggested as evidence that the two men might have been adopted into a local Aboriginal clan. Some amongst the Amangu people of the mainland have a blood group specific to Leyden, in Holland. However, numerous other European shipwreck survivors, such as those from the wreck of the Zuytdorp in the same region in 1712, may also have had such contact with indigenous inhabitants.

1629, Dec

Batavia (Jakarta)

The remaining mutineers were taken to Batavia for trial. Five were hanged, while several others were flogged. Cornelisz's second in command, Jacop Pietersz, was broken on the wheel, the most severe punishment available at the time.

A board of inquiry decided that Pelsaert had exercised a lack of authority and was therefore partly responsible for what had happened. His financial assets were seized, and he died a broken man within a year.

On the other hand, the common soldier Wiebbe Hayes was hailed as a hero. The Dutch East India Company promoted him to sergeant, and later to lieutenant, which increased his salary fivefold.

Of the original 341 people on board the Batavia, only 68 made it to the port of Batavia.

1632

Suratte, India

Cameo taken aboard the warship Amboina to Suratte, India for sale to governor Mirmousa. No deal.

1633

Batavia

Cameo returns to Batavia onboard the warship ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

1634, Aug

Batavia

Cameo stays in Batavia; drawings are sent to Hindoustan and Persia in order to sell it. No deal. 

1636?

Gamron, Persia

Cameo sent to Gamron in Persia. No deal.

1637, Jun

Batavia

Cameo returns to Batavia.

1637, Dec

Achin, Sumatra

Bad weather forces premature return to Batavia.

1638, Feb 24

Achin, Sumatra

King of Atjeh refuses to buy the cameo.

1640

Suratte, India

Cameo taken aboard the warship Nieuw-Zeeland to Suratte, India for sale to governor Mirmousa. No deal.

1641, Apr

Batavia

Cameo returns to Batavia aboard the warship Nieuw-Zeeland.

1641 - 1647

Batavia

Cameo in store

1647

Suratte, India

Gaspar Boudaen's son comes out to the East Indies and takes it to Suratte, but he, too, fails to sell it.

1653-1656

The Netherlands

Cameo returns to the heirs of Gaspar Boudaen in the Netherlands

1656-1756

The Netherlands

Unknown

1756, Sep 11

Amsterdam, de Munt

Cameo is auctioned for fl 5500 at the Munt in Amsterdam, probably to Jacob Hop.

1783, Oct 1

Amsterdam, de Munt

Cameo is up for auction at the Munt in Amsterdam by the heirs of Jacob Hop (Pabst). No deal.

1808

Paris

Cameo is taken to Paris and a detailed drawing is made by Lacour. Cameo is almost sold to Napoleon for ff 110.000. Events in 1813 preclude a deal.

1823

Leiden

King Willem I buys the cameo for fl 50.000 from Jacob Hop’s grandson. Cameo is taken to the Royal Coin Cabinet in Leiden.

2007, May 24

Utrecht

Cameo is transferred to the Money museum in Utrecht

2014, Jan 15

Leiden

Cameo is transferred to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden