Lot 455 | A LARGE CORAL CAMEO SET IN A GEORGIAN GOLD RING. BEARDED HEAD OF A RIVER GOD.

Bertolami Fine Art - Piazza Lovatelli 1, 00186 Roma

A LARGE CORAL CAMEO SET IN A GEORGIAN GOLD RING. BEARDED HEAD OF A RIVER GOD.

A LARGE CORAL CAMEO SET IN A GEORGIAN GOLD RING. BEARDED HEAD OF A RIVER GOD.

17th- 18th century

Cameo 17x26 mm; int. Size 19x21,5 mm; 19,19 gr.

With a large chiseled hoop with floral patterns expanding upwards onto an oval bezel set with a large coral cameo; the frontal face is characterized by a thick long beard and moustache, a flat large nose, small globular eyes with heavy eyelids and a protruding front head. The frontality as well as the features reminds some Italian Renaissance masks depicting river gods. Hallmarks inside the bezel (15, 625, b, and stema).This unusual male bearded portrait can be identified with a river god even if, however, the face resembles a Silenus and the hair seems to recall the Asian art.

Provenance: U.K. private collection