Lot 47
Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE; Western Europe, ca. 19th to 20th century CE. A splendid, Roman chalcedony cameo of ovoid form, skillfully carved with an image of Orpheus charming the animals and set in a modern ring formed from a copper, gold, and silver alloy - known in antiquity as Corinthian bronze. Boasting a hue of creamy white on translucent gray, the delightful cameo shows the legendary musician dressed in a tunic and seated on a rock on a grassy hill. He holds his lyre in one hand as mountains rise around him and 4 quadrupeds gather at his feet. Size of ring: 0.9" Diameter (2.3 cm); Size of intaglio: 0.9" W x 0.7" H (2.3 cm x 1.8 cm); metal quality: 43% copper, 32.5% gold, 23% silver; weight: 6.2 grams; US ring size: 6.75
According to the Museo del Prado, "Orpheus, the mythological Greek musician and poet, sung and played the lyre so sublimely that all the animals, even the fiercest, came up close to listen to him. In another episode from Orpheus' life, he made use of music to try to rescue his wife Eurydice from the Underworld. From Antiquity to the present day that myth has been used to describe music's seductive power, inspiring numerous artists, particularly composers, from Monteverdi to Nick Cave and including Haydn."
Provenance: private East Coast collection, New York, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance),
we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#169430
- Condition: Some nicks to peripheries and very light scratches to intaglio. Otherwise, intact, excellent, and wearable.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Shipping
Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 30.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |