Lot 149 | A rare roman carnelian intaglio. Scene of a sacrifice by Agamemnon. 1st century BC - 1st century AD.

Bertolami Fine Art - Bertolami Fine Art, 1 Harewood Place 1, W1S 1BU Londra

A rare roman carnelian intaglio. Scene of a sacrifice by Agamemnon. 1st century BC - 1st century AD.

A rare roman carnelian intaglio. Scene of a sacrifice by Agamemnon.

1st century BC - 1st century AD.

The Achaeons' supreme leader, wearing a helm, is portrayed holding the shield with his left hand, while offering a patera with his right hand, in front of a small altar at his feet. A bull at his side, and others helmets/ shields on the background, in order to symbolize soldiers. The scene can be identified for sure with the sacrifice that Agamemnon made at Aulis before sailing to Troy. Indeed, this rare iconography can be identified in an ancient sardonic intaglio, the which was also displayed by in the collection of Paoletti’s glass paste impressions, and preserved in Philadelphia (University of Pennsyilvania Museum of Archeology and anthropology, inv. 29-128-900, already M. Sommerville collection).


11,5 x 13 x 5 mm.