FIve Republican Denarii Formed as A Victorian Tie Pin.

The head, carved from pale green chalcedony, polished to a smooth lustre and with a drilled aperture at the crown, the hair in tight curls around the nape and crown; the silver-gilt torso dressed in a draped toga carefully chased with deep folds and traces of gilding across the high points; mounted on a later patinated bronze column stand in the neoclassical manner. 208 grams total, 10.9 cm high including stand



Acquired on the European art market.

This small-scale portrait evokes the Roman tradition of imperial portraiture and the early modern fascination with the ancient world. From the seventeenth century onwards, artists and collectors revived classical subjects through hardstone and gilt-metal compositions, often intended for display in Kunstkammer or Grand Tour contexts. The combination of a reused ancient or earlier element with a later mount was a practice typical of the Renaissance and Baroque periods, reflecting the period’s reverence for antiquity and its imaginative recontextualisation of ancient forms.

Intaglio engraved with satyr playing aulos behind a tall column with statue on the top, a woman in long robe and satyr standing in front of an altar; set into a later gold ring with hoop formed from three round-section wires holding an oval bezel; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 9.36 grams, 25.97 mm overall, 19.15 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N, USA 6 1/2, Europe 13.72, Japan 13)



Private collection, Europe. Acquired on the English art market.

Comprising a dark green oval cameo with bright red flecks, on the upper side, a veiled head of Mary with a solemn expression, the underside featuring a classical depiction of bearded Jesus with long hair and wearing a draped garment; set in a substantial gold ring with a wide hoop. 15.59 grams, 25.53 mm overall, 16.26 mm internal diameter (approximate size British K, USA 5 1/4, Europe 9.95, Japan 9)



Acquired on the European art market. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13390-257998.

It was believed that the scarlet flecks in the stone were the blood of Christ, hence its popular use for the subject of Christ throughout the Middle Ages until the 19th century.