The flat oval stone is engraved with a nude warrior, depicted frontally, standing on a short groundline. His head is turned in profile, and he holds a spear and a short sword in his lowered hand, with a mantle draped over the arm. His other arm is positioned over his head, his fingers touching the tip of the spear. The gem is mounted as a ring in a 19th century gold setting. In Sangiorgi’s notes, he connected the pose of the warrior with that of the Greek sculptural type of the wounded Amazon from the late 5th century B.C., who likewise rests an arm across the top of her head (see nos. 389 and 390 in A. Stewart, Greek Sculpture). The gem more closely recalls the Apollo Lykeios by Praxiteles from the 4th century B.C. (fig. 17 in M. Bieber, The Sculpture of the Hellenistic Age).
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Masterpieces in Miniature: Ancient Engraved Gems formerly in the G. Sangiorgi Collection Part II
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Intact, a few very tiny chips to the edges of the engraved device; some surface scratches.
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