WEB AUCTION 106: Glittica

A postclassical agate intaglio. Sacrifice scene.

17th-18th century
13x16x3 mm

An old male character with a cloak is in the act of making a sacrifice over a small altar. With both hands he holds offerings. Groundline. Attractive variety of stone. Wear marks. Light chipping on the edge. Postclassical work.

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U.K. private collection

A postclassical bloodstone intaglio. Bust of a warrior.

16th-18th century.
12,5x17x3 mm

The male figure is facing left, with crested helmet. His face is characterized by strong features; hooked nose, protruding chin, and semi-opened lips. Slight wear marks.

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U.K. private collection

A group of 4 postclassical intaglios. Varia.

19th and 20th century.
12x18x3 mm; 15x18x6 mm; 11x15x3 mm; 16,5x21x4 mm

Bust of a female figure facing right, dressed with a large coller; bust of a warrior with helmet, sword and breastplate, draped on the shoulders; islamic seal with floral pattern; islamic seal with inscriptions.

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U.K. private collection

A lot of 2 postclassical red jasper and agate gnostic intaglios.

End of the 19th century - early 20th century (?).
22x30x3 mm; 16,5x24,5x4 mm

Male figure standing on his feet and facing right. He holds a scepter, the terminal with jackal head. Groundline. Beneath, symbols. The second intaglio shows a pentagram with greek and hebrew letters. Inspired by the gnostic and magical intaglios repertoire.

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U.K. private collection

A postclassical lapis lazuli gnostic intaglio. Astrological and magical symbols.

16th-17th century.
13x13x3 mm

The character is standing facing front, wearing a talar crossed-pattern dress or mummiform sheath (?). The face surmonted by a flat hat (?). On each side star and crescent moon. The reverse of the stone shows a syncretic attribute with stylized caduceus and crescent moon. On the corners, glyphs and letters. This iconography reminds the gnostic repertoire of the egypto-roman amulets and glyptic productions.

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U.K. private collection

A postclassical layered agate intaglio. Lion’s paw.

19th century (?).
8x11x4 mm

Lion’s paw depicted as a footprint, meant probably to be a seal. Drilled style. Signs of wear and chipping on the edge.

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U.K. private collection

A postclassical agate intaglio. Bust of Mars.

19th century (?).
11x12x4 mm

The god facing left. The helmet shows the front part sculpted with an anthropomorphic mask, of late renaissance taste. Magic eye stone cutting.

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U.K. private collection

A postclassical agate intaglio. Bust of a philosopher.

16th-18th century
14x17x3 mm

The hold character is facing left, characterized by a thick beard and bold head. This depiction is referred to Socrates portraiture. This portrait is finely engraved on a nice variety of agate. Wear marks.

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U.K. private collection

A large postclassical red jasper intaglio. Bust of an Emperor.

18th century (?).
22x32x4 mm

The male figure is facing right and characterized by high cheekbone, straight nose, thick eyebrow and lidded eye. Hair and beard are rendered with various trick lines enhancing the volumes. His forehead is surmounted by a large laurel wreath, tided back by a knot. The bust is covered by a cloak; on the shoulders appears the armour. This portrait reminds the features of the roman emperor Antoninus Pius. Large size. Vivid color and wear marks.

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U.K. private collection

A large postclassical agate intaglio. Gladiator.

18th century.
22x24x3 mm

The helmeted naked male figure is standing facing right, holding a sword in his right hand, and a frontguard. Groundline.

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U.K. private collection

A lot of 2 postclassical double-layered agate cameos. Imperial portraits.

16th-18th century.
14x20x6 mm ; 14x20x6 mm

From left to right; young emperor with laurel wreath facing left (nose partially missing) or Apollo (?); emperor with laurel wreath facing left.

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U.K. private collection

A lot of 2 postclassical layered agate cameos. Portraits of Minerva.

17th-18th century.
14x21x6 mm ; 14x21x4 mm

From left to right; bust of Minerva facing right. She wears the helmet, her long wavy hair touching her shoulders. She wears the scaled breastplate ; portrait of helmeted Minerva facing right and characterized by a strong look, straight nose, her wavy hair framing her face back to the base of her neck.

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U.K. private collection

A postclassical double-layered agate cameo. Greek philosopher.

16th-18th century.
20x26x4 mm

The male bearded figure is facing right and characterized by voluminous hair and beard worked in a naturalistic way and framing all his face. On top a folded veil covering partially head and neck.

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U.K. private collection

A postclassical double-layered agate cameo. Bust of a Youth.

16th-18th century.
19x31x5 mm

Facing right and characterized by long wavy hair framing his juvenile face and adorned by a large band. The features shows the finesse of the young man; thin nose, small plain lips, small chin and large almond-shape lidded eye.

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U.K. private collection

A postclassical three-layered agate cameo. Bust of a matrone.

16th-18th century.
21x28x6 mm

Facing left, the look upraised with intensity, the woman is characterized by long wavy hair tided back in a bun with some locks detached on the jaw and neck. The nose is thin and aligned with the forehead, semi-opened lips, rounded chin. The eye’s pupil is marked by a drill tool. Her bust covered by a folded cloak.

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U.K. private collection

A neoclassical three-layered agate cameo. Female bust.

18th century.
15x20x6 mm

Facing left, her hair inside a sakkos adorned with three ivy leaves colored with the last layer of the stone; beneath, three curls of hair framed the outter corner of the eye until her jaw. The features reminds the classical greek period; straight nose, almond-shape lidded eye, small semi-opened lips and rounded chin. Her neck is partially covered by the folds of a drapery.

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U.K. private collection

A neoclassical double-layered cameo. Paris.

18th century.
15x22x5 mm

The young man is facing right and characterized by his typical hairstyle surmounted by the phrygian hat. His eye accentuated by a drilled tool for the pupil, raises up the look, and the thick lids suggest a certain seriousness and gravity. The curly locks framing the forehead and the face are well-rendered with the use of this coloured layer of the stone in contrast with the whiteness of the face.

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U.K. private collection

A neoclassical three-layered agate cameo. Paris.

19th century.
19x24x5 mm

The young hero is facing right, characterized byu his typical phrygian hat. The sensousness of his features shows a delicate rounded chin, small plain lips, straight this nose and almond-shape lidded eye. The face is framed by long wavy hair with curly terminals going through the base of his neck.

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U.K. private collection

A postclassical layered agate intaglio. Dancing figure.

19th century.
20x26x3 mm

The female draped figure is standing, legs crossed in frontal view, her head facing left. Her bust partially uncovered shows rendered volumes, and her draped dress is floating in movement. She hold a patera (?) against her left leg. Groundline.

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U.K. private collection

A renaissance two-layered agate cameo set in a gold ring. Female bust.

16th century.
Cameo 14x20x5 mm ; ring US size 5-6

Rounded ring surmounted by a large asymmetrical rounded bezel that embrace naturally the cameo’s shape. The cameo depicts a woman bust turned to the right. She wears a folded dress, her right shoulder partially uncovered. Her long neck sustains a plain rounded face with small chin, lips and nose. The eye is precisely carved showing the eyelids and the pupil. The eyebrow is slightly modeled in relief. Her short-wide forehead is surmounted by long hair tided back in a bun with braids. Point of nose is missing, and presence of a crack behind the right shoulder.

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U.K. private collection

A renaissance agate cameo mounted in a modern gold ring. Reclining Venus.

Late 16th century A.D.
Cameo 10x13 mm ; diam int. Ring 17 mm ; 9,36 grs

The figure is naked and lying on a bed covered with a drapery; next to it, a vase. Signs of wear.

For stylistic comparisons: Riccardo Gennaioli, The gems of the Medici at the Museo degli Argenti. Cameos and carvings in the collections of Palazzo Pitti (coordination Ornella Casazza), 2007 (reprint 2010), p. 184 n. 73-75.
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U.K. private collection

An heliotrope cameo mounted in a modern gold brooch. Bust of Christ.

17th century
42x35 mm ; 16,32 grs

The figure wears a tunic and is turned in profile to the left, with long hair held back by the crown of thorns. The face has severe features, slightly protruding cheekbones and a short beard. Work inspired by 16th century models, including the choice of this stone variety. Attractive stone color. Bezel cracked horizontally on the bust. Refined gold setting (18th - 19th century), with finely worked frame in excellent condition.
For comparisons: P. Vitellozzi, Tesori di una collezione privata p. 218 n. 159; Le Destin d'une collection. 500 pierres gravйes du Duc d'Orleans, p. 219; Le gemme dei Medici al Museo degli Argenti. Cammei e intagli nelle collezioni di Palazzo Pitti, p. 336-337.
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U.K. private collection

A large cameo in oyster Shell. The Sacrifice of Isaac.

17th-18th century.
24x35x6 mm

Oyster shell cameo (pearl white background, milky white in the upper layer). The Sacrifice of Isaac. God decided to test Abraham faith, commanding the sacrifice of his son Isaac. On the Moriah mount, while Abraham was going to sacrifice his son, an angel arrived to stop him. The depiction is the representation of this salient Biblical episode: the flying Angel stops Abraham’s hand, that was holding a dagger. On the right, a kneeling Isaac gives an additional dynamic sense to the depiction.

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U.K. private collection

A victorian gold brooch set with a renaissance onyx two-layered cameo. Bust of a Youth.

16th centiry cameo; 19th century mounting.
Cameo 7x10 mm ; length brooch 50 mm ; 3,24 grs

A small onyx cameo is mounted on a Victorian brooch characterized by a small golden setting with a chiseled frame, joined to a long brooch. The stone, carved in high relief, shows the frontal bust of a young man, presumably Hercules, with a slightly three-quarter head. Excellent state of conservation.

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U.K. private collection