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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.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0377
Renaissance Carnelian 'Michelangelo's Seal' Gemstone
Estimate £600 - 800€700 - 930 (for guidance only)$810 - 1,080 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£300 (EUR 348; USD 405) +BP*
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Museum Quality Replica of the Gilgamesh Tablet XI in the British Museum
21st century A.D.Estimate: £40 - 60 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Resin cast reproduction of the 'Gilgamesh tablet XI' with dense cuneiform text in two unequal columns on each broad face, separated by a vertical longitudinal gutter; mounted on a custom-made stand. 1.01 kg total, 20.4 cm including stand
From the collection of David Donlan (1947-2025), a dedicated and lifelong collector with a passion for the ancient world and the natural sciences, forming his collection from 1960s onwards, using many reputable dealers across the United Kingdom, including the well-regarded Coincraft and The Parthenon Gallery. -
Post Medieval Agate Cameo of a Lady in Gold Pendant
19th century A.D.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £400
Carved in low-relief, a female profile bust wearing a straw hat and mantle. 6.40 grams, 36 mm
Private collection, Europe. Acquired on the English art market. -
Carved Printing Block with Mughal Scene
Late 19th-early 20th century A.D.Estimate: £20 - 30 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Showing a royal figure on the left, holding the reins of his caparisoned horse, at the centre a yogi beneath an arch with a tree behind and two bovines gazing at him, tufts of long grass in the foreground with multiple faces emerging between the blades; set on a display stand. 258 grams total, 15.1 cm wide including stand
From the collection of David Donlan (1947–2025), a dedicated and lifelong collector with a passion for the ancient world and the natural sciences, forming his collection from the 1960s onwards, using many reputable dealers across the United Kingdom, including the well-regarded Coincraft and The Parthenon Gallery.
