This Ancient Cameo Has Been Set in a Modern 18
Karat Gold Ring
Cameos are hard or precious stone carved in
relief. The cameo is usually a gem (commonly
agate, onyx, or sardonyx) having two different
colored layers, with the figures carved in one
layer so that they are raised on a background of
the other. The cameo is the converse of the
intaglio, which consists of an incised, or sunken,
engraving in the same class of materials.
Cameos exist in large numbers from the early
Sumerian period (c. 3100 BC) to the decline of
Roman civilization, from the Renaissance to the
Neoclassical period in the 18th century. While
Greek cameos were purely decorative (as
opposed to intaglios, which were used as seals),
Roman cameos were usually carved with portraits
and mythological scenes. This stunning cameo
represents a chariot drawn by four horses, called
a Quadriga, in the midst of a battle. This
stampeding vehicle is about to trample a fallen
warrior while the driver of the chariot prepares to
spear this unenviable man. Perhaps this
represents a scene from a historical battle or,
more likely, depicts a generic highlight from a
gladiatorial competition. Today, mounted in a
gorgeous 18 karat gold ring, this cameo is a
stunning centerpiece symbolic of the strength
and fortitude of the Roman Empire.
- (FJ.6660)
|
