An 18th century sardonyx intaglio depicting the bust of an Emperor (probably Julius Caesar)

An 18th century sardonyx intaglio depicting the bust of an Emperor (probably Julius Caesar), in profile and wearing laurels, accompanied by a palm leaf, set in a gold collector's swivel mount, intaglio 1.6cm high, size M approximately

The palm became so closely associated with victory in ancient Roman culture that the Latin word 'palma' could be used as a metonym for "victory". When Julius Caesar secured his rise to sole power with a victory at Pharsalus, a palm tree was supposed to have sprung up miraculously at the Temple of Nike (the Greek counterpart of the goddess Victory).