Lot 36 | A RARE GREEK CITRINE QUARTZ DOUBLE SIDE SEAL INTAGLIO. FISH.

Bertolami Fine Art - Piazza Lovatelli 1, 00186 Roma

A RARE GREEK CITRINE QUARTZ DOUBLE SIDE SEAL INTAGLIO. FISH.

A RARE GREEK CITRINE QUARTZ DOUBLE SIDE SEAL INTAGLIO. FISH.

End of 5th century B.C.

17 x 27 x 7 mm

Large fish swimming to the left, characterized by a wide open mouth, sharp dorsal fins, bulbous eye. Probably a Mero or Grouper, Epinephelus marginatus - formerly guaza - rather than the Wreckfish or Stone Bass Polyprion - the previous name, polyprium cernium is now obsolete, as which it is usually identified. The animal is engraved with great realism and technical perfection, on the model of the coins of magna greece (probably by the same engraver). The stone is large, pierced lenghtwise and elongated; there are small internal cracks but the stone is perfectly solid. Nice rainbow reflections in some angles for refraction. Yellowish aqueous color that goes well with marine theme. Wear marks. Minor chips or missing near the holes. Of great rarity.

For a close paralle, see the Greek coinage: silver tetradrachm from Sicily, Akragas. Circa 420-415 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 28 mm, 16.94 g, 4 h). ΑΚΡΑΓ - ΑΝΤΙΝ - Ο - Ν Eagle with spread wings to left, perched on dead hare lying on a rock and tearing at it with its beak; on rock, scallop shell and murex. Rev. Crab; to left, cockle shell; to right, sea snail; below, a large fish with open jaws swimming to left (probably a Mero or Grouper, Epinephelus marginatus - formerly guaza - see F.E. Zeuner, Fish on Ancient Coins, NCirc LXXI, 1963, pp. 142-143, rather than the Wreckfish or Stone Bass Polyprion - the previous name, polyprium cernium is now obsolete, as which it is usually identified). Buceti 70, Gulbenkian 163-164, Kunstfreund 78 (= SNG Lloyd 822), Rizzo pl. I, 16, and Seltman pl. I, 1 (all struck from the same die pair).

Provenance: English private collection S.B., London, acquired on the London art market in the 90s.