WEB AUCTION 106: Glittica

A roman two-layered agate intaglio. Cybele.

1st century B.C. - 1st century A.D.
16x16x4 mm

The goddess is facing left and is characterized by her typical towered-crown, the back of her hair covered by a long veil joining the top of her dress. She is presented with an elongated neck, rounded face with plain chin and small semi-opened lips. Slight wear marks.

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U.K. private collection

A roman burnt agate intaglio. Head of Apollo.

2nd century A.D.
8x12x2 mm

The god is facing left. Hair pulled back and adorned with a laurel wreath. The stone is burnt only on the surface.

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U.K. private collection

A roman red jasper intaglio. Bust of Athena.

3rd century A.D.
10x13x2,5 mm

The helmeted deity is turned to the left, wearing the aegis. Slight wear marks and little traces of burning on the right.

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U.K. private collection

A roman carnelian intaglio. Bust of Nike.

1st-2nd century A.D.
10x11x2 mm

The depiction, inspired by hellenistic models shows a bust of Nike with a partially uncovered briest, small wings on the shoulders . The head is depicted in profile, the hair gathered. Chip on the edge.

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U.K. private collection

A roman carnelian intaglio. Bust of Mercury.

1st-2nd century A.D.
9x10x3 mm

The god is facing left and wears a draped coat. Behind him, his caduceus. Small chips on the edge and slight wear marks on the surface of the stone.

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U.K. private collection

A roman agate carnelian intaglio. Head of a Dioscure.

2nd century A.D.
10x12x3 mm

The young man is facing left. His short hair adorned with a band. On top, a star. Slight wear marks.

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U.K. private collection

Lot of 2 roman carnelian intaglios. Bearded portraits..

1st - 2nd century A.D.
9x9x2 mm; 8x11x4 mm

Facing left, their hair adorned with band and laurel wreath. Signs of wear marks on the surfaces of the stones.

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U.K. private collection

A roman carnelian intaglio. Bust of Athena.

2nd - 3rd century A.D.
12,5x18x3 mm

The goddess is facing left and characterized by a crested helmet, letting her hair uncovered around her face, and a draped bust. Slight wear marks and vivid color of the stone.

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U.K. private collection

A late roman red jasper intaglio. Eros.

2nd - 3rd century A.D.
13x14x4 mm

The winged god is facing front and characterized by a plain rounded face, with small nose and lips, large eyes. The forehead surmonted by short wavy hair. His bust covered by a crossed draped peplos. Shoulders uncovered. Beautiful vivid red stone.

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U.K. private collection

A late republican carnelian intaglio mounted on a modern gold ring. Greek athlete.

1st century B.C. 
Intaglio 11x13 mm ; US size ring 10 ; 4,6 grs

Ring with rounded hoop and boarded shoulders, surmounted by an oval bezel with deep groove. The intaglio depicts a greek athlete portrait facing left. The features of the face shows with hollowed jaws and high cheekbone, small semi-opened mouth, aquiline nose and almond-shaped eye. The short forehead is surmounted by wavy hair hold with a band (tided back with a knot). Very fine execution, inspired by the late hellenistic style.

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U.K. private collection

A roman sapphire intaglio. Bust of Julius Caesar.

Late 1st century B.C.
7x9x5 mm

The bust of the roman dictator is turned to the left. The character wears the laurel wreath ending with ear of corns (egyptian symbol). He wears the armour under the chlamys. The face is characterized by his typical physiognomic marked traits, well executed considering the very small size and the particular hardness of this precious stone; the style is close to the globular style of the late republican period . Attractive stone color with various shades of blue. Convex surface on both sides of the stone. Wear marks. Rare.

Parallels : M. L. vollenweider, Die Portratgemmen der romischen Republik, 1972, pl. 75-81

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U.K. private collection

A roman late republican red jasper intaglio. Portrait of a Barbaric character with lituus.

End of 1st century B.C.
14x16x2 mm

Facing left, the barbarian is characterized by marked facial features and thick hair: aquiline and prominent nose, protruding cheekbone, and thin neck. Long hair ending in untidy locks, thick beard and mustache. His neck with a torque collar, typically worn by Gallic and British tribes (see sculpture by the Dying Gallia, Capitoline Museums). Behind the character's neck, the lituus, symbol referring to Julius Caesar and his conquests in Gallia and Britain. Rare subject, well executed with a realistic sense. Signs of wear.

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U.K. private collection

A roman garnet intaglio mounted on a Grand Tour gold ring. Bust of Hercules.

1st - 2nd century A.D.
Intaglio 10x14x4 mm ; US size ring 7 ; 6,24 grs

Rounded hoop flatten within with boarder shoulders and surmounted by a deep grooved bezel. In the center, the intaglio shows a bearded man portrait facing left. The face features are characteristic of the mythological hero Hercules, with strong jaws and neck evocating his strenght; strong nose, small lips and the forehead wrinkled showing his determination. The hair and the beard are engraved by deep engravings. The volume of the face and the neck are well rendered. Below, his club. The stone is cracked into the ring, in the upper part. Original Grand Tour Era gold mounting, with nice patina. Attractive color of the stone and very fine execution.

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U.K. private collection

A roman carnelian intaglio mounted in a postclassical gold ring. Herakles portrait.

Intaglio 2nd century A.D.; 18th century ring.
Intaglio 9x10 mm ; US size ring 5 ; 4 grs

Hoop rounded without and flat within with wider scrolled shoulders and surmounted by a large oval bezel with gold leaf setting the intaglio. The heroic portrait is facing left and characterized by the lion skin on his head. Original Grand Tour Era mounting. Wear marks.

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U.K. private collection

A north-european roman gold ring set with a carnelian intaglio. Emperor portrait. 

5th-7th century A.D.
Intaglio 11x11 mm ; US size ring 8 ; 8,07 grs

Hoop rounded without and flatten within. The oval bezel is framed on each side by two spherical gold beads and set with a carnelian intaglio showing the portrait of an emperor facing left. The features of his face shows strong jaws, aquiline nose, small lips, and a wide eye. The short forehead is surmounted by short hair adorned with the laurel wreath.

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U.K. private collection

A roman orange glass paste intaglio, mounted on an ancient gold ring. Head of Hercules.

2nd - 3rd century A.D.
Intaglio 12x14 mm ; ring internal size 15x19 mm ; 3,70 grs

The hero is facing left and is characterized by a thick beard and tight shorthair. Well executed work, inspired by greek hellenistic models. Attractive brown-honey color of the bezel, surrounded by a twisted edge. Slight signs of wear. The same torsion motif was used for the ring-shaped rod, which ends at the back of the golden bezel with two curvilinear bifurcations (forming four half-moons, a motif inspired by Etruscan jewelery, see Gerard Nicolini, Techniques des ors antiques, La bijouterie ibérique du VIIe au IVe siècle, vol. 2, pl. 79 - p. Excellent state of preservation.

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U.K. private collection

A roman two-layered onyx cameo set in an antique gold earring.

3rd century A.D.
High 14 mm ; 0,90grs

Draped female bust with "Helmfrisur" hair. Bezel: signs of wear. Mounting: very good condition.

For comparisons: M. Henig, The Content Cameos, pp. 44-49
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U.K. private collection

A roman double-layered onyx cameo. Female bust.

3rd century A.D.
7x15x6 mm

A roman, double-layer onyx cameo. Bust of a woman. The effigy is in profile to the right. The hair forms a striped mass, which falls down on the neck in a braid and arching ("helmfrisur" hairdo). The ear is uncovered, rather big; the neck is elongated, while the nose is partially lacking. The bust is draped, the fabric engraved with angular pleats. Stylized portrait, typical of 2nd century A.D. (see coins of Giulia Mesa, Giulia Soemia, Julia Paula, Aquila Severa), but with numerous extensions until 3rd century A.D. The bust is clearly detached from the field in undercut.
For comparisons: U. Pannuti, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. La collezione glittica, pp. 248-251; Martin Henig, The Content Cameos, pp. 45-48. 3rd century A.D
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U.K. private collection

A roman double-layered agate nicolo cameo. Head of Medusa.

2nd - 3rd century A.D.
8x10x7 mm

The face showed in a frontal view small carved ligns representing the features and hair. Nose missing. Traces of deposit.

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U.K. private collection

A roman double-layered agate cameo. Facing head.

3rd-4th century A.D.
11x11x6 mm

A roman, double-layer agate cameo. Facing head. The effigy (apotropaical mask) has been engraved in the brown higher layer, on a light white field. Wear marks.

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U.K. private collection

A roman garnet cameo. Comical theater mask.

1st century A.D.
Diam 7 mm ; depth 5 mm

A roman garnet cameo. Comical theater mask, with the mouth wide open, made in high relief with a flat base (as a bezel for the mounting on the piece of jewellery). Good condition, with light missing on the edge.
A very similar sample is in the Farnese Collection ( cfr. Ulrico Pannuti, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. La collezione glittica, pp. 283-284. Such specimen has already been attested in the Orsini inventory, where we find mentioned a "GRANATA con una maschera in rilieuo" (sic.)). Intense stone colour.
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U.K. private collection

An eastern roman agate intaglio. Two male portraits.

2nd - 3rd century A.D.
13x15x3 mm

Two male portraits facing each other. Slight wear marks on the surface. Nice honey color of the stone with dark inclusions.

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U.K. private collection

A roman burnt nicolo intaglio. Bust of Serapis.

2nd - 3rd century A.D.
9x10x5 mm

The god is facing left, characterized by a modius on his head, trick beard and hair. Wear marks.

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U.K. private collection

A roman burnt agate intaglio mounted on an antique iron ring. Bust of Athena.

2nd - 3rd century A.D.
Intaglio 12x16 mm ; ring internal size 18 x 20 mm

The helmeted goddess is turned on the left side. Interesting variety of stone, despite the burns, still shows its original inclusions and color variations. Attractive color. Intact.

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U.K. private collection