A cameo or gem is a representation carved in stone and a popular collector's item.   

At the end of the 18th century people started to make casts of it in plaster: the intaglio .

Due to the renewed interest in classical antiquity, Roman gems with a classical theme became

cast in plaster and presented as a collection, often in the form of a book with cassettes, the so-called dactyliotheek.

Grand Tour travelers took them as souvenirs to their country where they were often given a prominent place in their library.

The series shown is not made of plaster but of a marble/glass paste. Italy, 2nd quarter 19th century. Dim. H 34, Br 28 cm.