Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Owl Between Cornucopiae

1ST CENTURY A.D.

1/2 in. (0.65 grams, 13 mm).

The oval intaglio engraved with the bird facing, flanked by two opposing cornucopiae.

Provenance

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

Literature

Cf. Henig, M., A corpus of Roman Engraved Gemstones from British Sites, Oxford, 2007, for similar gemstones with caduceus (no.422) and calathus (App.54) flanked by cornucopiae.

Footnotes

According to Greek mythology, the cornucopia was the horn lost by the Achelous river in the fight with Hercules for Deianeira and filled by the Naiads with flowers and fruit as a symbol of abundance, thus alluding to the fertility of the valley where the Achelous flowed. The owl, symbol of Athena, flanked by cornucopiae, evoked the abundance asked from the goddess by the wearer of the gemstone.

CONDITION

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LOT 0119