Lot 30
Lot 30
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A ROMAN AMETHYST RINGSTONE WITH A PORTRAIT OF A NOBLEMAN

REPUBLICAN PERIOD, CIRCA MID 1ST CENTURY B.C.

Price Realised USD 52,920
Estimate
USD 10,000 - USD 15,000
Estimates do not reflect the final hammer price and do not include buyer's premium, any applicable taxes or artist's resale right. Please see the Conditions of Sale for full details.
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A ROMAN AMETHYST RINGSTONE WITH A PORTRAIT OF A NOBLEMAN

REPUBLICAN PERIOD, CIRCA MID 1ST CENTURY B.C.

Price Realised USD 52,920
Register
Price Realised USD 52,920
Register
Details
1116 in. (2 cm.) long
Provenance
Giorgio Sangiorgi (1886-1965), Rome, acquired and brought to Switzerland, late 1930s; thence by continuous descent to the current owner.
Literature
M.-L. Vollenweider, Die Porträtgemmen der römischen Republik, 1974, pp. 138, 143, 174, 220, 258, pl. 92.

Brought to you by
Hannah Fox SolomonHead of Department, Specialist
A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.View condition report

Lot Essay

The fine portrait on this convex ringstone depicts a young man in profile with a full head of wavy locks. He has a large unarticulated eye and a prominant aquiline nose. Vollenweider considered it one of the most beautifully engraved portraits of the period. Sangiorgi compared the gem to a bronze portrait of Cato the Younger found at Volubilis, now in the Rabat Archaeological Museum, since the hair style and aquiline nose are similar (see pl. 2 in F. Poulsen, "Caton et le Jeune Prince," Acta Archaeologica XVIII).

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Condition report

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View Condition Report