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Intaglio Jewelry :
Roman Seal Rings : Roman Carnelian Intaglio Mounted in an 18 Karat Gold Ring with a Florentine Finish
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Roman Carnelian Intaglio Mounted in an 18 Karat Gold Ring with a Florentine Finish - FJ.5111
Origin: Mediterranean
Circa: 100
AD
to 400
AD
Collection: Intaglio Jewelry
Medium: Carnelian and Gold
$5,200.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
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The art of glyptics, or carving on colored
precious stones, is probably one of the oldest
known to humanity. Intaglios, gems with an
incised design, were made as early as the fourth
and third millennia B.C. in Mesopotamia and the
Aegean Islands. The exhibit a virtuosity of
execution that suggests an old and stable
tradition rooted in the earliest centuries. The
tools required for carving gems were simple: a
wheel with a belt-drive and a set of drills.
Abrasives were necessary since the minerals
used were too hard for a metal edge. A special
difficulty of engraving intaglios, aside from their
miniature size, was that the master had to work
with a mirror-image in mind.
Engraved onto the polished surface of this
precious stone is an image of the bust of a
young man. His curly locks of hair flow over his
head. Who is this mysterious youth? May it be a
god, or could it be a mere mortal? It is possible
that this bust might be a depiction of Antinuous,
the tragic lover of Emperor Hadrian? Surely the
idealized beauty of this figure would be fitting
the legendary looks of Antinuous, looks that
captured the heart of the most powerful man in
the world. During his lifetime and afterwards,
Hadrian commissioned numerous portraits of
Antinuous. This gorgeous bust would surely be
in keeping with this tradition. Is it possible that
Hadrian himself may have once owned this seal
as a reminder of his lost love?
- (FJ.5111)
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