The term intaglio refers to a small image that has been engraved into a gemstone and usually set in a piece of jewellery, most commonly a ring. Such 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 intaglio reached its apogee, with there being a steady decline in craftsmanship in the late Imperial Rome, until a revival of interest with the Byzantine and during the Renaissance.
The subjects used for intaglios are diverse, with depictions of deities being a favourite theme. Concordia, commonly depicted as a cloaked goddess holding a patera and cornucopia, was the epitome of harmony. She is often associated with the coherence and agreement within marriage and a stable society. Iconographically, she was depicted often on the reverse of coin and on intaglios, set within marriage rings.
To find out more about intaglios and Roman gods, please visit our relevant blog posts: Engraved Gemstones in Ancient Rome.
