Lot 17
Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st to 2nd century CE; Europe, Neoclassical period, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. A beautiful Roman glass paste nicolo intaglio of Cupid riding a Hippocampus or gryllus, set in a Neoclassical copper-gold alloy ring to be wearable. The playful carving show the hippocampus facing left with the face of a man protruding from its chest as the winged deity sits on its back. The hippocampus's tail curved inward as a petite dolphin chases from behind. All is set in a copper-gold alloy ring with a slender band and open shoulder. Size of intaglio: 0.5" W x 0.7" H (1.3 cm x 1.8 cm); of ring: 0.8" L x 0.7" W (2 cm x 1.8 cm); US ring size: 6.25; metal quality: 55% copper, 26.2% gold, 14.9% silver
The term "gryllus" is often applied to intaglios with fantastic combinations of human heads and animal parts. The term is actually derived from a remark made by Pliny about a painter, Antiphilos, who "painted a figure in an absurd costume known by the joking name of Gryllus" (i.e. a cricket). The interpretation of combination gems is not always clear but there is no doubt that they were considered to have apotropaic or prophylactic properties.
In the Roman period, Eros had become a child (to the earlier Greeks, he was a muscular youth), but here he retains his mischievous air, ready to help couples fall in love through not-entirely-innocent interventions. The hippocamp was a Greek and Phoenician mythological beast, its upper section (head and foreparts) belonging to a horse and its lower section with a serpentine tail of a fish. This horse of the sea, also seen in Etruscan art, was featured in Roman art and often seen in mosaics and marble sculptures.
The ancients, according to scholars, believed that hippocamps were the adult versions of the petite creature we now call the sea-horse. The mythical sea-horse known as the hippocamp (hippokampe, hippocampus, hippokampos) was described by Pausanias as a horse, but with the part of its body below the breast representing that of a sea monster or fish. This creature is mentioned in Homeric poems as a symbol of Poseidon who famously rode a chariot pulled across the sea by horses.
Provenance: ex-Dr. Corinne Bronfman estate, Washington D.C., USA, acquired via descent; ex-Marjorie Bronfman collection, Montreal, Canada, acquired March 31,1966; ex-Sotheby's, London, United Kingdom, "Catalogue of the Story-Maskelyne Collection of Ancient Gems, the Property of W.E. Arnold Forster, Esq., 4-5 July 1921, lot 154 (1 of 2); ex-William Arnold-Forster (1886-1951), Cornwall and London, United Kingdom; ex-M.H. Story Maskelyne (1823-1911), Wroughton, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
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.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#186688
- Condition: Ancient paste glass nicolo intaglio set in a Neoclassical ring to be wearable. Some minuscule abrasions to glass that do not affect carved imagery, which is still very clear.
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 27.5% 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 |