Ancient Roman Amethyst Intaglio of a Gryllos Stalk and Man

£ 295.00

A finely carved ancient Roman amethyst intaglio carved with a gryllos, a combination of a stork and man. The bird is facing right, standing on one leg while the other one is raised up towards its chest. A male bust projects out of the stork’s back, facing the other direction. The facial features have been carefully rendered displaying the mans large eye and pointed nose. The head is positioned so the man is looking down towards the floor and a fish has been placed in front of him.

This piece comes with a professionally baked, modern impression.

Date: Circa 2nd-3rd Century AD
Provenance: From the collection of a Swiss gentleman formed in Europe from 1970-1980s; thence by familial descent in London.
Condition: Fine condition with minor scratches and pitting to surface as consistent with age.

SOLD

SKU: HD-66 Category: Tags: , ,

The term intaglio refers to a small image that has been engraved into a material, most commonly a gemstone. Such an artistic form has its origin in Sumer in the 4th millennium BC, with the appearance of cylinder and stamp seals, whereby decorations and patterns were engraved into soft stones. During the Hellenistic period and the early Roman Empire, the art of the intaglio reached its apogee, before the inset of a steady decline in craftsmanship in late Imperial Rome. A revival of the craft would not be seen until the Byzantine and later Renaissance period.

The subject used for intaglios are diverse, with depictions of deities and mythical creatures being a favourite theme. Combinations of human heads and animal parts are known as grylloi (γρύλλοι). While being an amusing and favoured decorative motif, grylloi served apotropaic functions to ward off the evils. As explained by Plutarch in the Quaestiones Convivales, they had the ability to “attract the evil eye and thus lessens its force against its victims”.

To find out more about intaglios, please visit our relevant blog post: Engraved Gemstones in Ancient Rome.

Dimensions L 1.1 x W 1 cm
Culture

Semi-Precious Stones

Region

Reference: For a similar item,Bonhams, London, 14th May 2003, lot 160

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