Valerio Belli’s early sixteenth-century composition places Minerva among Mars, Venus, and Cupid. The scene is cut into rock crystal, gilded from the reverse, and backed with lapis lazuli. Its brilliant appearance depends on the combination of materials as much as on the figures themselves.
Minerva stands at the center, while the seated male figure is Mars. The work belongs to Renaissance engagement with classical divinities. It is evidence of that later artistic culture, rather than an object used in an ancient Greek sanctuary.
The Cleveland Museum of Art interprets the scene as a choice between Minerva and Venus, with Mars occupying a role more commonly given to Hercules. That reading gives the small jewel an ethical dimension. Look at how the figures, their attributes, and the brilliant materials make a difficult choice visible.