In antiquity, the value of glass was often equated
with that of precious gems. Since its invention
about 1600 BC, glass was a favorite material for
jewelry, combining brilliant color with malleable
form. This scaraboid gem has been engraved for
use in a ring, in the same manner as stone
intaglios. It depicts a stag being pursued by a
hunter. Such hunting scenes have a long
tradition in the ancient world, and were often
associated with the nobility. We can imagine this
gem on the hand of its original owner, a means
of defining his status in the world. As we hold it
in our hands today, we connect directly with the
vanished world from which it comes.
- (GF.0307)
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