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Intaglio Jewelry :
Classical Revival Seal Rings : Classical Revival Intaglio of an Emperor or Deity
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Classical Revival Intaglio of an Emperor or Deity - FJ.6370
Circa: 1700
AD
to 1800
AD
Collection: European
Medium: Sardonyx-Gold
Additional Information: 22 Karat Gold Ring/f
£3,400.00
Location: Great Britain
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| Description |
This Intaglio is Set in an 18 Karat Gold Ring
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 BC in Mesopotamia and
the
Aegean Islands. They display 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.
During the eighteenth century the
aristocrats
and wealthy upper classes became
fascinated
with all things ancient. They particularly
loved
jewelry and commissioned expert
engravers to
create works of art based on ancient
models. A
favorite stone for engraving was sardonyx,
due
to the ‘phenomenon’ of its natural multi-
layers.
This splendid ring shows the head of a
male,
who strongly resembles the Roman
emperor
Hadrian wearing a radiating diadem.
Engravers
studied statuary and coins as models for
their
work, and attempted to equal and even
excel the
ancient intaglios in artistry and
workmanship.
This ring epitomizes the elegance and
opulent
style of both the eighteenth century and
the
courts of the Roman emperors.
- (FJ.6370)
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