Carnelian Gemstone with Bust of Zeus

ROMAN, 2ND CENTURY A.D. OR LATER

5/8 in. (0.68 grams, 15 mm).

The oval intaglio engraved with a bearded head of Zeus or an emperor in profile, bearded, a laurel crown laced behind the neck.

Provenance

Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s.
Important North West London collection.

Literature

Cf. Walters, H.B., Catalogue of Engraved Gems & Cameos, Greek, Etruscan & Roman in the British Museum, London, 1926, no.1998, for similar.

Footnotes

Zeus, the main god of the Graeco-Roman pantheon, typically has his hair radiating outwards, forming a corona of individual strands. The 2nd century emperor Hadrian was the first bearded Roman emperor, a fashion continued by his successors, creating a representation in connection with the image of the King of the Olympians.

CONDITION

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LOT 0137