A VERY FINE MUSEUM QUALITY, NINETEENTH CENTURY HAND CARVED, HARD SHELL VENETIAN CAMEO DEPICTING MEDUSA IS MOUNTED WITHIN AN ORNATE ENGRAVED FRAME HAVING TWO 5 MM NATURAL GARNET CABOCHONS. ON EITHER SIDE OF THIS RARE MYTHOLOGICAL CAMEO, ARE LARGE NATURAL 30 X 22 MM. BLACK ONYX CABOCHONS. IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY, MEDUSA IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE GUARDIAN OR PROTECTRESS. SHE IS ALSO KNOWN AS GORGO, ONE OF THE THREE MONSTROUS GORGONS, GENERALLY DESCRIBED AS WINGED HUMAN FEMALES WITH LIVING SNAKES IN PLACE OF HAIR. ACCORDING TO THE ROMAN POET OVID, SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL UNTIL SHE WAS ASSAULTED IN ATHENA’S TEMPLE. ATHENA THEN PUNISHED HER BY TURNING HER INTO A STONY GLANCED CREATURE.