Description:

Classical World, Central Italy, Etruria, ca. 4th to 3rd century BCE; Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st to 2nd century CE. A lovely pair of ancient intaglios: an Etruscan glass cabochon of a charging bull and a Roman carnelian stone of a legionary eagle or Aquila. The bull lowers its head and paws at the ground with one hoof, all enveloped by a braided border. Alternatively, the eagle stands between 2 legionary insignias and holds a laurel wreath in its beak. The bull was considered a deeply divine animal throughout antiquity - a meaningful symbol of the moon, fertility, rebirth, and power. We find the earliest depictions of bulls in Paleolithic cave paintings. Moreover, the veneration of the bull in Anatolia would influence several religious cults in antiquity: from the Minoan practice of bull-jumping in Crete, to the fervent worship of the Apis bull in Egypt, to the sacrificial practices of Roman Mithraism. Size (both about the same): 0.5" W x 0.4" H (1.3 cm x 1 cm)

On the other hand, the Imperial Roman eagle was known as the aquila, the symbol of the Roman legion, and, by around 100 BCE, each company of soldiers carried a standard bearing an eagle. They were fixed to the top of a spear or pole and were small enough that they could be concealed in dangerous circumstances. One standard bearer under Julius Caesar is said to have concealed his inside of his girdle in a moment of panic.

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#133259

  • Condition: Chipping to periphery of glass bull intaglio, and some light scuffs to carnelian eagle. Otherwise, both are intact and excellent with good remaining detail. Accompanied by an impression of the bull intaglio.

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November 9, 2023 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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