Bertolami Fine Art - Bertolami Fine Art, 1 Harewood Place 1, W1S 1BU Londra
ASTA 107 - Glittica Sessione Unica
Friday 22 April 2022 hours 15:00 (UTC +00:00)
An important Grand Tour sard intaglio (two fragments) set in a gold ring. Lion and Bacchic scene. <br><br>18th - 19th century.
An important Grand Tour sard intaglio (two fragments) set in a gold ring. Lion and Bacchic scene.
18th - 19th century.
Published: Dr. Archibald Billing, The science of Gems, Jewels, Coins and Medals, ancient and modern, revised edition London 1875, p. 81, figs.117-118&120: "Two of the best specimens that have been produced of forged fragments are in possession of Mr. R. Phillips, of Cockspur Street; these two are made out of one stone, - a dark brown Oriental sard; the engraver brocke it across, and on the larger portion made a most antique-looking intaglio (117), apparently thee worship of Pan, or some such subject, quite open to a controversy such as might have been sustained by Visconti; it really looks a highly respectable fragment of an antique. But the engraver, it would seem, thought it a pity that the other portion of such a fine stone should be left unemployed; so he made that into another antique fragment, with another subject; that is to say, the head, neck and fore quarter of a lion (118) passant, very well engraved; not a modern heraldic lion passant, but a real grumy-looking lion, from an arena, perhaps, of the Coliseum-it would pass for the fore-part of the group of Cybele riding on a Lion, which is a common antique subject (119); this fragment he antiquified more than the other; for whereas the one with the sacrifice is smooth on the back, the other with the lion has been much scratched. (120) is the absurd-looking impression when the two pieces are reunited. It is strange that, after their wanderings, they should have met again in the possession of any one connoisseur". Extraordinary specimen. Very good condition.
Stone 17 x 26 mm; ring size 17 x 21 mm; 6,13 gr.