Profane Museum

The objects here range from small bronzes and carved ivory to cameos and rock crystal. A cameo uses layers of material to make a raised image. A small work can carry a great deal of detail, so choose one before trying to take in a whole cabinet. Pope Clement XIII authorized the Profane Museum in 1761, and its hall opened six years later. Its name distinguishes the secular antiquities gathered here from the Christian Museum at the other end of the former Library corridor. These collections offered different subjects for study within the same institution. Napoleonic removals dispersed many of the early holdings. The later arrangement drew on the collections that remained and on new finds and acquisitions. Its cases preserve the names of collectors such as Carpegna, Vettori and Assemani. This museum has its own history beside the Vatican Library. The Gregoriano Profano Museum, originally founded at the Lateran, is a separate collection.