Engraved gems

ABSTRACT: This book chapter considers the interest in Etruscan engraved gems and jewellery in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, from the scholarly and collecting activities of Philipp von Stosch, Anton Francesco Gori and others in Florence in the heyday of the Etruscan Revival, to the complete re-systematization of the Etruscan glyptic material by Adolf Furtwängler at the turn of the century 1900. It also discusses the interesting cultural phenomenon of the dactyliothecae (gem cast cabinets), amateur and commercial serial-production of gem impressions and gem casts in various materials, and the re-use and imitation of Etruscan gems and goldwork in the so-called “archaeological jewellery” produced by the Castellani and other workshops.

My new article in Jewellery History Today, the magazine of the Society of Jewellery Historians, shows the relationships between Martin Coster – founder of Royal Coster Diamonds –, Oscar Massin and King William III of the Netherlands. This historical research and visual comparison serve as basis for the attribution to Massin of the pendant, bow brooch and necklace of the diamond and sapphire parure of the Dutch Royal House. Massin himself provided evidence of Martin Coster’s role as liaison between him and King William III.  He wrote about the engraved diamond portrait medallion he made, confirming it was a gift from Coster to the King, to give to his bride Princess Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont. Read the long-form, annotated version with more images on my website: http://www.erikschoonhoven.nl/royal-jewels/oscar-massin-in-the-dutch-royal-collection/

Artykuł poświęcony jest zagadnieniu związków pomiędzy gemmami a monetami. Autor w bardzo ogólny sposób zwraca w nim uwagę na kilka obszarów podobieństw zarówno w kwestiach technologicznych, ikonografii jak i funkcjach jakie pełniły obie kategorie zabytków. Wskazuje w nim nowe problemy badawcze (np.: zbadanie relacji gemm i monet w odniesieniu do propagandy uprawianej w I w. p.n.e. oraz na początku I w. n.e.) oraz postuluje podjęcie badań podstawowych nad opisywanym zagadnieniem.

"1) A defixio from Olbia (IV century BC) first edited by Tochtas'ev in 2000 on the basis of a drawing by the former owner. The analysis led on the photograph of the original document makes possible an improvement of the reading and shows the presence of several signs carved on the surface of the tablet.
2) First edition of a late antique amulet where the angel Rathanael  - recorded in the apocryphal Testamentum Salomonis - is mentioned for the first time on an inscribed object."

Epreuves. Version développée en chapitre dans Le sourire d'Omphale, Rennes, 2015. Parmi les objets qui ont servi de véhicule à la mémoire des rites et pratiques magiques, on dénombre différentes sortes de pierres et de concrétions auxquelles on attribue des propriétés insolites. Comme les plantes et les animaux, ces pierres sont créditées d’une vie qui leur est propre. La frontière entre les espèces est poreuse. L’inerte peut être animé d’une vie secrète. Les pierres ont un sexe, masculin ou féminin, voire sont hermaphrodites, et une vie sexuelle. Elles respirent, parlent, ont des penchants, s’attirent ou se repoussent. Certaines sont même enceintes, voire accouchent. Cet article explore la tradition littéraire des lapidaires et la confronte à la réalité archéologique. Certains objets traversent les siècles, comme la célèbre aétite. Le système est polarisé, mais ne se réduit pas à une opposition masculin/féminin. Si les pierres ont un sexe, il existe des pierres masculines qui accouchent, et des pierres utérines bonnes pour les hommes.
Many objects have transmitted the memory of magical rites and practices. Like plants and animals, a number of stones and concretions were believed to possess a secret life. The dividing line between species can be porous. Stones are gendered: some are feminine, others masculine, or bisexual, and they have a sexual life. They can breath, talk, attract or repell. Some are even pregnant and give birth to other stones. This paper explores the lapidaries’ traditions and confront them with archaeological artifacts. Some objects cross centuries, such as the famous aetites. The system is polarised, but it is not reduced to a male/female opposition. If stones have a sex, there are masculine stones that deliver, and uterine stones good for men.

A gemstone (also called a gem, fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semi-precious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli and opal) and occasionally organic materials that are not minerals (such as amber, jet, and pearl) are also used for jewelry and are therefore often considered to be gemstones as well. Most gemstones are hard, but some soft minerals are used in jewelry because of their luster or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. Rarity is another characteristic that lends value to a gemstone. Apart from jewelry, from earliest antiquity engraved gems and hardstone carvings, such as cups, were major luxury art forms. A gem maker is called a lapidary or gemcutter; a diamond cutter is called a diamantaire.

Don Carlo Trivulzio (1715-1789) è probabilmente stato il più importante collezionista nella Milano del Settecento. La varietà della sua collezione è grandissima ma erano le monete a costituirne la parte più significativa, avendo egli acquisito centinaia di monete d’oro romane. Le migliaia di pezzi, antichi e moderni, che componevano la sua collezione numismatica sono ormai, purtroppo, disperse e identificarle è una sfida. Fortunatamente alcuni documenti, manoscritti e a stampa, mi hanno permesso di ricostruire il destino della collezione. Il diario di Don Carlo ne registra gli incontri, gli scambi e gli acquisti effettuati restituendo un quadro animato di un numismatico di tutto rispetto, le cui monete riaffiorano regolarmente in diverse collezioni private in tutto il mondo. Don Carlo possedeva inoltre alcuni importanti intagli, di cui mostrerò alcuni esemplari, il destino dei quali è – se possibile – ancor più intricato da seguire.

CENTRO CULTURALE NUMISMATICO MILANESE
Martedì 26 Settembre 2017, ore 20.45

The three-headed goddess Hekate is well known from texts and depictions from the middle of the first millenium BC onwards and also a common motive on so-called magical gems from the third or fourth century AD. The present paper presents a collection of the known attestations of magical gems with a depiction of Hekate and classifies these into different groups. The representations of the goddess clearly represent her typical appearance with three heads or faces, but can be separated into groups of triprosopos, trikephalos or a depiction with three heads and three bodies.

The Hermitage collection of ancient jewellery is extensive and diverse. The greater
part of it consists of exhibits found in the course of archaeological excavations that are
now customarily published as whole sets together with other material. This catalogue
includes only ancient jewellery items acquired by the museum at various times from
private collections. They are assigned to a special group as they have no archaeological
context. We have selected for publication rings and seals made from precious metals
with the use of precious and semiprecious stones. The main section consists of gold artefacts
and significantly fewer silver, stone and gilded bronze rings.

The article is devoted to the 37th book of the «Natural History» of
Pliny the Elder, On Gems. Various approaches to the interpretation and
translation of Pliny’s names of gems and concepts associated with them are considered with references to works in geology and gemology, as well as to the first experience of academic translation of the last five books of «Natural History» (33–37) by academician V. M. Severgin (1819). Pliny's distribution of gems in groups is analyzed, a hypothesis is proposed about the meaning of the Latin adjective candidus in the gemmae candidae group of colored gems, as referring not to their color, but to some special optical properties known in modern gemology (asterism, irisation, opalescence, etc.). The influence of the 37th book of «Natural History» on the practices of collecting gems, including those preserved in modern mineralogical museums, is considered.

Novgorodova D. D. «In Pliny... chrysoprasus is not chrysoprase, nor is topazus topaz or sapphirus sapphire». In INDO-EUROPEAN LINGUISTICS AND CLASSICAL PHILOLOGY – XXIII ((Joseph M. Tronsky memorial Conference). Proceedings of the International Conference, St. Petersburg, 24–26 June, 2019 / edited by Nikolai N. Kazansky. Part II (pp. 635–1208). St. Petersburg: Nauka, 2019 . P. 796-822.

Новгородова Д.Д. «У Плиния и хризопраз не хризопраз, и топаз не топаз, и сапфир не сапфир» // Индоевропейское языкознание и классическая филология – XXIII (чтения памяти И.М. Тронского). Материалы Международной конференции, проходившей 24-26 июня 2019 г. / Отв. редактор Н.Н. Казанский. Второй полутом (сс. 635-1208). СПб.: Наука, 2019. С. 796-822.

In the first half of the 19th century, the Prince Stanisław Poniatowski (1754–1833) collection of engraved gems was considered to be one of the most outstanding known assemblages. However, its sale at Christie’s in 1839 was a disaster, as the cabinet turned out to include almost only neo-classical specimens and, thus, half of the gems did not go under the hammer. But these intaglios and cameos, and especially the themes they bear, portray in their beauty an effort to re-create a lost neo-classical world as reflected in the texts of Homer, Vergil, and other ancient authors. In contrary to other works on the Poniatowski gems, this paper focuses not on the collection itself, but on its impact on the later gem engraving. It presents two intaglios from the collection of the National Museum in Krakow. The first presents a scene of Hebe pouring out nectar for Jupiter (with an eagle behind him). The second depicts a crowned snake-god with the incorrect Latin inscription: VOT·SOL·CER. They are faithful copies of two Poniatowski gems. In fact, the first gem testifies to the great contribution of the Poniatowski collection to the reception of Classical culture, while the other is a falsification of the original which reflects a later collector’s aim to possess a ‘Poniatowski gem’.

This paper presents new research about the origins of engraved gems in the collection of Constantine Schmidt-Ciążyński (1818-1889), partially preserved in the National Museum in Krakow.  It is now possible to identify Prince Stanislas Poniatowski (1754-1833) as the former owner of one intaglio. The Prince’s gems were completely dispersed after his death (1833) at auction organised by Christie's in London in 1839. Only the descriptions in the catalogues and incomplete sets of impressions in Berlin (Antikensammlung) and Oxford (Beazley Archive) allow us to identify original gems from the collection. The Schmidt-Ciążyński intaglio which can securely be identified is presented here. In the absence of archive documents, it is extremely difficult to ascertain when and where Schmidt-Ciążyński could have bought this specimen. Nevertheless, an attempt was made to propose some possibilities. The discovery is important because it was thought that the collector did not buy any Poniatowski gems. Now this issue must be reconsidered.

Preface; History of the Collection; Abbreviations; General Introduction; The uses of Gems; The choice of designs on gems; The technique of gem engraving; The materials used for ancient gems; Appreciation and collecting of gems; Gem engravers and their signatures; Forgeries; Catalogue; I. Greek; II. Etruscan and Italic; III. Roman intaglios, first century b.c. to fourth cantury a.d.; IV. Hellenistic and Roman Cameos and Works in the round, second century b.c. to fourth century a.d.; Concordance of the numbers in the 1920 and the 1956 editions of the catalogue; General index; Index of inscriptions.

Engraved Gems and Propaganda in the Roman Republic and under Augustus deals with small, but highly captivating and stimulating artwork – engraved gemstones. Although in antiquity intaglios and cameos had multiple applications (seals, jewellery or amulets), the images engraved upon them are snapshots of people's beliefs, ideologies, and everyday occupations. They cast light on the self-advertising and propaganda actions performed by Roman political leaders, especially Octavian/Augustus, their factions and other people engaged in the politics and social life of the past.

Gems can show both general trends (the specific showpieces like State Cameos) as well as the individual and private acts of being involved in politics and social affairs, mainly through a subtle display of political allegiances, since they were objects of strictly personal use. They enable us to analyse and learn about Roman propaganda and various social behaviours from a completely different angle than coins, sculpture or literature.

The miniaturism of ancient gems is in inverse proportion to their cultural significance. This book presents an evolutionary model of the use of engraved gems from self-presentation (3rd-2nd century BC) to personal branding and propaganda purposes in the Roman Republic and under Augustus (until 14 AD). The specific characteristics of engraved gems, their strictly private character and the whole array of devices appearing on them are examined in respect to their potential propagandistic value and usefulness in social life.

The wide scope of this analysis provides a comprehensive picture covering many aspects of Roman propaganda and a critical survey of the overinterpretations of this term in regard to the glyptic art. The aim is the incorporation of this class of archaeological artefacts into the well-established studies of Roman propaganda, as well as the Roman society in general, brought about by discussion of the interconnections with ancient literary sources as well as other categories of Roman art and craftsmanship, notably coins but also sculpture and relief.

Egypt’s Red Sea island of Zabargad, also called St. John’s Island, is arguably the world’s most famous source of gem olivine, or peridot.  Both the island and its eponymous gemstone were called “topazos” by ancient writers.  Although much has been written about Zabargad’s unusual geology and modern mine workings, an ancient peridot mine had not been verified until a geo-archaeological expedition to the island in 2010 confirmed the existence of ancient mine workings and associated ruins of buildings and a water well.  In the first of two companion articles, the findings from this expedition are discussed in relation to literary references on the subject and the relationship between Zabargad and Berenike, the Ptolemaic-Roman port city on the Egyptian mainland opposite the island and a major emporium for the maritime trade with eastern Africa, the Persian Gulf and India.  Peridot was imported via this port-of-entry into the Graeco-Roman world, where it was used primarily for ring stones.  In the second article, the historiography of ancient literary sources on both the identity and geographic origins of the gem known today as peridot is examined with reference to the 2010 expedition to Zabargard and a survey of extant ancient engraved gems carved from peridot. Among other possible sources of peridot in antiquity is a second Red Sea island called “Cytis” by the Roman encyclopedist Pliny the Elder (d. AD 79). The association of Cytis with modern Kod Ali Island,  located a few kilometers off the coast of Eritrea, is also discussed.

The origins and identities of the gem minerals known in antiquity have been construed primarily from ancient literary sources.  Some of the most important texts are not preserved in the translation of original manuscripts but are versions produced later, often several centuries later. They may survive only as fragmentary works or paraphrased in the works of other writers. Sometimes they survive in successive editions which bear accumulated errors and defects iterated over centuries. Some of the most significant works and problems of their handling in translation have been discussed. Attention has been devoted especially to lexical problems associated with trying to reconcile ancient and modern mineral taxonomies, inconsistent usage of gem terms, some of which are deprecated, and contemporary bias of translators.
Examination of approximately 1,100 objects representing the range of lapidary materials known to ancient gem cutters provided objective reference to consider some of the most troublesome gemstone identities and presumed gemstone origins that have come to be generally accepted as true. Empirical observations of the gems examined, archaeology, and the discovery of new gem sources in recent decades suggest that updated translations of some important treatises are needed, especially Books 36-37 of Pliny the Elder’s »Natural History«, which was published more than 50 years ago.
Most of the gems examined came from private or museum collections whose provenience dates between the 17th and 20th centuries. Lacking known archaeological context in most instances hinders tracing the mechanism of transmission or the path traveled between a raw lapidary material’s origin and its eventual deposition as a fashioned object in its date- and place-specific cultural setting.

This work concerns the role of finger rings in longobardic society between VI and VII century. The research is based on twenty-eight italian necropolis catalogues, from the famous Castel Trosino and Cividale del Friuli to Senise and the Crypta Balbi in Rome. The four pattern found are signet rings, rings with Roman gems, rings with double diamod dash bezel and rings with glass paste or semiprecious stones.