The cameo represents Lucius Verus (AD 130 169), Roman emperor, alongside his adoptive brother Marcus Aurelius (121–180), from 161 until his death. He was the eldest son of Lucius Aelius Caesar of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty. After his father’s death in 138 he was adopted by Antonius Pius, adopted son and successor to Emperor Hadrian. During most of his reign he was occupied with the Roman–Parthian War (AD 161–166), which concluded with Roman victory. After his death the senate declared Lucius Verus divine, to be worshipped as Divus Verus. Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), in his posthumously published Discorsi sopra la prima deca di Tito Livio (The Discourses on Livy, 1531), identified him, along with Marcus Aurelius, as one of the Five Good Emperors
The cameo is mounted on a panel chased exuberantly with foliate scrolls; the sides and base, in contrast, are more finely chased with Bacchic trophies, which suggests that the original lid panel was replaced when the cameo was selected to be the centrepiece of the work. To give unity to the design the new panel was chased with the same border of trailing cordate leaves used on the sides and base and its corners similarly defined by fan shaped blue taille d’épargne enamel panels.

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