ASTA 267 - GLITTICA

A RARE RENAISSANCE SAPPHIRE INTAGLIO SET IN A GOLD RING. PORTRAIT OF LUCIUS VERUS.

16th century

Stone 8x10 mm; Int. Size 13x14,5 mm; 3,65

A beautiful portrait of the emperor Lucius Verus, reigning together with his adopted brother Marcus Aurelius, from 161 until his death. The portrait is facing left; the effigy is characterized by his typical abundant curly hair, long beard, elongated profile.The backside is pointed and facetted. Beautiful color of the stone. Wear marks.

Provenance: U.S. private collection, acquired on the art market. This lot is sold under temporary import status.

A POSTCLASSICAL CARNELIAN INTAGLIO. MALE PORTRAIT.

17th-18th century

18x23x4,5 mm

Interesting private portrait of a male character, characterized by a partially bald skull and a very pronounced nose. The effigy recalls in some details the Roman portraits of the late Republican age of the Cicero or Julius Caesar type. Wear marks.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

AN EARLY RENAISSANCE AGATE CAMEO SET IN A GOLD RING. BUST OF AN EMPEROR.

15th - 16th century

Cameo 8 x 12 x 4 mm ; 4 grs; int diam 17 mm

With rounded hoop ending onto the shoulders in two sections joined by a "knot" and surmounting an oval thick bezel with an agate cameo; the male portrait is laureated and facing left with short hair. The physiognomy reminds the byzantine portraiture. Nose partially missing.

Provenance: From the collection of an European gentleman, acquired on the art market

AN AGATE CAMEO SET IN A GOLD RING. VEILED BUST OF A YOUTH.

17th - 18th century

Stone 14x18 mm; Int. Size 14x18 mm; 3,19 gr

The young character is facing right. Missing on the bust.

Provenance: U.S. private collection, acquired on the art market. This lot is sold under temporary import status.

A LATE RENAISSANCE AGATE CAMEO SET IN A GOLD BROOCH. AN EXOTIC MALE PORTRAIT.

16th - 17th century

Stone 26x29 mm; Brooch 29x34 mm; 9,74 gr.

Possibly the portrait of a man "a la turque", bearded, with two long hair braids that descend from the intricate braid behind the neck. The dress closes in a V shape on the partially uncovered chest and is embroidered. Interesting subject that requires further study. The cameo is mounted in a brooch characterized by spherical elements.

Provenance: European collection, acquired on the market, early 2000's.

A RENAISSANCE AGATE CAMEO. THE SUICIDE OF LUCRETIA.

16th century

25x32x10 mm

Bust slightly three-quarters to right; the three-quarter face turned to the left creating an elegant torsion. The heroine shows her breasts uncovered while her shoulders covered by a drapery, and she presses a dagger against her chest. This subject becomes particularly appreciated during the Renaissance becoming the emblem of conjugal virtuosity and sacrifice. Small internal cracks on the bottom, chips on the edge and wear marks.

Provenance: U.K. private collection acquired on the art market.

AN AGATE CAMEO SET IN A GOLD BROOCH. PORTRAIT OF A GREEK HELLENISTIC RULER.

17th-18th century

Stone 21x30 mm; Brooch 28x37 mm; 11.61 gr.

Interesting revisitation of the bust of a Hellenistic sovereign facing right, with thick hair held by a wide ribbon and two small braids that descend on the neck. The bust is draped and armor under the cloak. Behind the neck, a large bow or drapery (?). Small surface cracks. Wear marks.

Provenance: U.K. private collection acquired on the art market.

AN AGATE BUST OF A WOMAN MOUNTED IN A GEORGIAN GOLD STICK PIN WITH STONES.

Bust: 17th century; mounting 18th century

Stone H 22 mm; H Max. 100 mm; 5,70 gr

A small female bust carved in a pinkish agate with orange and bluish tones, ornated by a crown and a ribbon with semiprecious stones.

Provenance: U.S. private collection, acquired on the art market. This lot is sold under temporary import status.

A FINE RENAISSANCE AGATE CAMEO SET IN A GOLD RING. PAN PLAYING THE PIPE.

16th century

Stone 11x20 mm; int. Size 17x18 mm; 4,10 gr

The character is facing left, seated on a rock, depicted playing the panpipe. The figure is turned three-quarters in a forward leaning pose. Beautiful execution, inspired by the ancient style. The cameo is mounted in a beautiful gold ring with openwork leaf decorations.

Cfr. Tassie n. 5168.

Provenance: U.K private collection

A LARGE LATE RENAISSANCE BLOODSTONE CAMEO. MADONNA WITH THE CHILD.

Probably 16th century

55x75x24 mm

Her shoulders and back covered by a cloak, the nimbus with lilies on the head, the long hair finely chiseled with very thin and wavy lines. With both hands she holds the holy child, also with a nimbus with lilies. The woman looks to the right with her face tilted downwards in three-quarters, while the child with his face tilted upwards in three-quarters with a tender gaze. The work is carved in high relief with great skill. Probably Italian. Beautiful execution. Missing on the edge.

Provenance: From the Chenel collection, Paris; U.K. private collection.

A FINE RENAISSANCE AGATE CAMEO SET IN A FRAME. THE JUDGMENT OF PARIS.

16th century

Total diam 69 mm

Zeus prepared a banquet for the celebration of the marriage of Peleus and Thetis, future parents of Achilles. Eris, the goddess of discord, was not invited and, angered by this outrage, went to the banquet place and threw a golden apple with the inscription "to the fairest".
The three goddesses who claimed it, unleashing furious quarrels, were Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. They spoke to Zeus to convince him to choose the most beautiful among them, but the father of the gods, not knowing who to deliver her to, established that deciding who was the most beautiful could only be the most beautiful of mortals, Paris, an unwitting prince of Troy, who was favored by the god Ares. Hermes was commissioned to bring the three goddesses to the young Trojan, who still lived among the shepherds and grazed the sheep, and each of them promised him a reward in exchange for the apple: Athena would make him wise and unbeatable in war, allowing him to overcome every warrior; Hera promised wealth and immense power, so much so that entire peoples would have submitted to her gesture, and so much glory that her name would have echoed up to the stars; Aphrodite would have granted him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world.
Paris favored the latter, unleashing the wrath of the other two. The goddess of love then helped Paris to kidnap Helen, wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, and the fact was the trigger of the Trojan War. In this fine and large agate cameo, on the left: Paris is seated on a rock, next to him is Hermes with his typical attributes. The young man gives the apple to Aphrodite flanked by Eros; next to her Athena and Hera. Below, a river deity and a dog drinking in the river. Above, Zeus with his eagle above the clouds, symbolizing Olympus. The cameo has superficial fissures and small internal cracks. The stone is solid and firmly inside the metal frame. With box from an old collection.

Provenance: U.K. private collection acquired on the art market.

A POSTCLASSICAL CARNELIAN INTAGLIO SET IN A SILVER AND GOLD PENDANT. VOTIVE SCENE.

17th- 18th century

Stone 13x16x2; 3 gr

A male character, turned to the left, is seated down on the ground on a small base, holding a snake in his right hand and pointing at a bowl with the left one; ; behind, a naked female figure, with a fluttering drapery held by her right arm, is lifting a patera with her right hand while holding a goat head in the left one, close to a plynth. Groundline. An allegorical scene, inspired by ancient models, which recurs in glyptic production from 17th century up to 18th-19th. The gem is broken into two parts, kept together by the metallic mounting.

For comparisons: Valerio Belli vicentino. 1468c. - 1546, Howard Burns, Marco Collareta, Davide Gasparotto, p.248 ("Sacrificio bacchico". Etching from P.J. Mariette), p. 522 n. cat. n. 157.I).

Provenance: U.K private collection

A GRAND TOUR AGATE INTAGLIO SET IN A GOLD RING. SACRIFICE SCENE.

End of 18th century

Stone 10x14 mm; int. size 18x19 mm; 10,50 gr

With rounded hoop expanding upwards onto an oval bezel set with a three-layered agate intaglio. The scene depicts an old bearded man kneeled and holding a snake. Behind him, a female figure (priestress ?) draped, her right hand pointed to her face. They are facing a tree with a ram protome hanged and a small brasero on the ground. In the background, herm of a Silenus. A similar scene was engraved by Pichler. Wear marks.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A NEOCLASSICAL AGATE INTAGLIO. TWO EROTES PLAYING WITH A GOAT.

18th century

23x31x3 mm

On the left, an Erote tries to tame a goat that wants to play with the Erote sitting on a rock on the left side, by tying it with a branch of ivy around its neck. The scene is inspired by the gems and bas-reliefs of the Roman Era. Groundline.

Provenance: U.K private collection

A GRAND TOUR AGATE INTAGLIO SET IN A GOLD RING. METHE.

18th century

Stone 13x21 mm; int. diam 17 mm; 7,80 gr

With a large grooved oval box-setting, the large truncated intaglio depicts Methe, standing nude in three-quarters, a drapery on her shoulders that she barely holds with her right hand, meanwhile she brings the left hand holding a cup to her mouth. In the right, "ΛΥΛOΥ" (by Aulos). Pseudo Greek signature. Groundline. Wear marks.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A CARNELIAN INTAGLIO SET IN A GOLD RING. BUST OF APOLLO.

18th century

Stone 13x16 mm; int. Size 18x21 mm; 3,70 gr

The god is facing left, characterized by beautiful youthful features, long hair adorned by a laurel wreath. His bust is partially covered by a tunic attached on the shoulders. Behind, bow and quiver. Wear marks.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A NEOCLASSICAL CARNELIAN INTAGLIO SET IN A GOLD RING. BUST OF DIONYSOS.

18th-19th century

Stone 18x25 mm; int. Size 16x18 mm; ,20 gr

The god is facing right and characterized by young features. The hair are assembled behind in a knot-bun with a large braided band around the face hold by an ivy leaves crown. Wear marks.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A CARNELIAN INTAGLIO SET IN A GEORGIAN GOLD RING. FEMALE BUST.

First half of 18th century

Stone 13x15 mm; int. size 16x17,5 mm; 2,56 gr

With a rounded hoop, flatten within and engraved without, the shoulders ending in two twisted leaves pattern and surmounted by a large oval bezel. The scene shows a female bust facing right. The head is characterized by elaborated hair with a braided band on the front head, a net of pearls topped with a long tight braid and covered behind by a sakkos. The bust is covered by a draped cloack. This portrait is referrable probably to a poetess or a Muse. Chipped on the lower part of the stone. Wear marks.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A GRAND TOUR CARNELIAN INTAGLIO SET IN A GOLD RING. HEAD OF PERSEPHONE.

18th - 19th century

Stone 12x16 mm; int. Size 18x10 mm; 3,74 gr

With plain rounded hoop and oval bezel set with an intaglio showing the head of Persephone facing left with her ear of corns diadem. Missing and chip on the edge. Wear marks.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A LARGE SIGNED BLOODSTONE INTAGLIO SET IN A GOLD RING. CAPITA JUGATA PORTRAIT.

18th century

Stone 14x21 mm; int. size 18x19 mm; 10,34 gr

With rounded hoop, flatten within expanding in broader shoulders with incised volute patterns and surmounted by a large oval bezel with incised ligns. The intaglio shows a Capita Jugata portrait with a laureated emperor and his emperess, August and Livia. Initials or signature "LH" in the field.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A LARGE AGATE INTAGLIO SET IN A SWIVEL GOLD RING. CONJOINED BUSTS OF AN IMPERIAL COUPLE.

17th - 18th century

Stone 18x22 mm; int. size 18x22 mm; 4,84 gr

With flatten hoop attached onto the large grooved bezel with screws and set with a large agate intaglio; the portraits are facing left showing a laureated emperor with a long beard and his emperess. The model reminds the effigy of Hercules with Omphale. Mirror polishing. Wear marks.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

AN AGATE INTAGLIO SET IN A GOLD RING. PORTRAIT OF HOMER.

17th- 18th century

Stone 15x19 mm; int. diam 16 mm; 6,33 gr.

Finely engraved portrait of the Greek poet Homer, facing left. The effigy is characterized by a thick beard and hair held back by a band, the shoulders draped. Interesting and unusual choice of stone.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A FINE CARNELIAN INTAGLIO SET IN A GOLD FOB SEAL. MALE PORTRAIT.

18th century

Stone 11x13,5 mm; H max 22 mm; 3,9 gr.

Engraved with great finesse, this youthful portrait looks like an idealized private portrait. The effigy faces left. Beautiful vivid color of the stone, set in a Georgian gold seal. Slight wear marks.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A LARGE BANDED AGATE INTAGLIO SET IN A GOLD RING. BUST OF HERCULES.

17th - 18th century

Stone 16x23 mm; int. size 19x22 mm; 13,46 gr

With a massive rounded hoop surmounting a large oval bezel set with a large intaglio depicting Hercules facing right. The Hero is characterized by a strong look, deep features and foliated beard and hair. Large stone.

Provenance: U.K. private collection