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_900x900.jpg "Renaissance Carnelian 'Michelangelo's Seal' Gemstone")
_200x200.jpg "Renaissance Carnelian 'Michelangelo's Seal' Gemstone")
.jpg "Renaissance Carnelian 'Michelangelo's Seal' Gemstone")
LOT 0377
Renaissance Carnelian 'Michelangelo's Seal' Gemstone
18TH CENTURY A.D.
7/8 in. (1.21 grams, 21 mm).
Vibrant orange carnelian intaglio depicting a lively Bacchic scene with satyrs, wine-bearers and other participants beneath a canopy supported by two flying Cupids; below in the exergue, a small figure of a fisherman, fishing with a hook on the sea shore; supplied with a museum-quality impression.
ProvenanceAcquired on the European art market.
LiteratureCf. The British Museum, London, museum no.1978,1002.1205, for a brooch with a similar resin cameo; see also Brose, K.M., Applied Arts or Ancient Sculpture? A Renaissance Gem in the Census Database, online article, retrieved July 22 2026.
FootnotesThe original 'Seal of Michelangelo' is a famous engraved carnelian gem, acquired by King Louis XIV in 1670. It is now housed in the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Long thought to be an ancient Greek masterpiece, and a subject of debate and controversy, it was subsequently identified by scholars as a Renaissance work by Pier Maria Serbaldi da Pescia.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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