![]() A seal in ancient times was applied not only to letters, wills and official documents, but also to chests and boxes containing valuables, amphorae of wine and oil, and if we are to believe the comic playwright Aristophanes, jealous husbands would even stamp their seal on the doors to the gynaecea (women’s quarters)!ĥ. Eloquent inscriptions that remain attest to this - on one gem in the 6th century B.C., we read: “I belong to Hermotin.”Another states: “I am the seal of Tersis, be careful not to break me!”Ĥ. As property and ownership developed, jewels were used as the personal stamps of their owners the impression of a gemstone in wax or clay replaced a signature. People started to carve distinctive symbols and images onto them, believing that this would improve their chances of success and happiness.ģ. As a result, gemstone intaglios were made into amulets. The optical and electromagnetic properties of gemstones spotted by those living in ancient civilisations engendered a belief in their supernatural powers. Thereafter, the spread of intaglio pieces widened throughout the ancient world.Ģ. The first traceable evidence of intaglio is when the technique emerged as fairly well-developed in the East in the 4th-3rd centuries B.C. Intaglio designs surfaced earlier than the more widely recognised cameo, their initial appearance lost in the depths of time. Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.During my discussion with Yaroslav, I was introduced to several interesting facts on the art of intaglio:ġ. To help improve this record, please email. Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. 11, 2021, lot 59, to the Art Institute of Chicago. 29, 2019, lot 31, to Ariadne Galleries, New York sold to private collection, New York City, 2020 sold, Christie’s, New York, Oct. Giorgio Sangiorgi (1886-1965), Rome, acquired and brought to Switzerland, late 1930s by descent sold, Christie’s, New York, Apr. Charles Newton-Robinson (1853-1913), London sold, Christie’s, London, June 22, 1909, lot 71, to Spink, London. 1765 by descent to his son, George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough (1766-1840), Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire by descent to his son, George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough (1793–1857), Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire by descent to his son, John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough (1822-1883), Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire sold, Christie’s, London, June 28–July 1, 1875, lot 109 to David Bromilow (1809-1898), Bitteswell Hall, Leicestershire by descent to his daughter, Julia Harriet Mary Jary, Bitteswell Hall, Leicestershire, 1898 sold, Christie’s, London, June 26–19, 1899, lot 109 to Francis E. 1690 by descent to his daughter, Lady Mary Mordant (1659-1705), Drayton House, Northamptonshire by descent to her second husband, Sir John Germain (1650-1718), Drayton House, Northamptonshire by descent to his second wife, Lady Elizabeth Germain (1680-1769), Knole House, Kent by descent to her great-niece, Mary Beauclerk (1743-1812), 1762 George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough (1739-1817), Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, c. Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel (1586-1646), Arundel House, London by descent to his wife, Aletheia Talbot Howard (1585-1654), Arundel House, London given to her son, Henry Frederick Howard, 22nd Earl of Arundel (1608-1652), Arundel House, London by descent to his son, Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk (1628-1684), Arundel House, London by descent to his widow, Jane Bickerton Howard (1643-1693), Arundel House, London Henry Mordant, 2nd Earl of Peterborough (1621-1697), Drayton House, Northamptonshire, c. Earle III Endowment Fund Reference Number 2021.415 Extended information about this artwork Klein Ancient Art Acquisition Fund purchased with funds provided by an anonymous donor David P. Setting: gold Dimensions H.: 4.1 cm (1 5/8 in.) Credit Line Katherine K. Status On View, Gallery 153 Department Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium Title Intaglio of Mars Medium Intaglio: carnelian After being held together for more than 250 years, the gems were dispersed at auction in 1899-only to be reunited in Chicago over 100 years later. The complementary technique, known as cameo, produced an image in relief (raised).Both this gem and the cameo on display nearby were pre-viously part of a collection in England formed in the 17th century by the Earl of Arundel. The term derives from the Italian word intagliare, meaning “to cut into or engrave,” and describes the process by which an artist carved this image into the surface of the stone. This depiction of Mars was created with intaglio, one of the two primary gem-carving techniques used in the ancient world.
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