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LOT 115:
A fine roman amethyst intaglio. The Abduction of Ganymede.1st century B.C. - 1st century A.D.12 x 17 x 7 mmThe ...
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Start price:
£
800
Estimated price :
€2,000
Buyer's Premium: 25%
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A fine roman amethyst intaglio. The Abduction of Ganymede.
1st century B.C. - 1st century A.D.
12 x 17 x 7 mm
The young Ganymede is carried through tha air by the eagle. The anatomical details of his naked body are engraved with great refinement. The face is slightly turned upwards following the ascent; the left arm is raised high on the wing of the mighty eagle, while with the right hand it holds a globe (reference to Olympus and the astral sphere). Below, a small amphora. The eagle holds the young body with its sharp claws and is characterized by a head with a sharp beak, turned in profile. The carving is performed on a double cabochon amethyst of attractive intense color, and has some slight internal cracks and signs of wear. An emblematic scene of Jupiter's divine loves and metamorphoses. Rare. For parallels: British Museum, glass cast, 1814,0704.2763; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, roman orange glass cast intaglio; Beazley Archive, Unpublished Tassie: TRAY 07.1; Tassie, J.; Raspe, R.E.: A Descriptive Catalogue of a General Collection of Ancient and Modern Engraved Gems,... (1791): 113,NO.1337,TRAY 22.1, 22.3. ss.
