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Source Description
Colorful gemstones have been prized since antiquity, not only for their beauty but also for their healing and protective powers. The art of shaping these materials into intaglios (images cut into the surface) and cameos (images formed above the surface) was perfected in ancient Greece and Rome, where carved gems served as signature seals impressed in wax or clay, protective amulets, and important markers of wealth and status.In the 18th century, the high demand for classical gems and reproductions prompted the use of a wider variety of materials, such as glass, and the pioneering of new manufacturing techniques.This piece is carved intaglio.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
35828
label
Intaglio with Profile Bust of a Boy and Greek Letters
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
2
Source metadata
id
35828
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Intaglio with Profile Bust of a Boy and Greek Letters
description
Colorful gemstones have been prized since antiquity, not only for their beauty but also for their healing and protective powers. The art of shaping these materials into intaglios (images cut into the surface) and cameos (images formed above the surface) was perfected in ancient Greece and Rome, where carved gems served as signature seals impressed in wax or clay, protective amulets, and important markers of wealth and status.In the 18th century, the high demand for classical gems and reproductions prompted the use of a wider variety of materials, such as glass, and the pioneering of new manufacturing techniques.This piece is carved intaglio.
provenance
Acquired by Henry Walters, Baltimore and New York; inherited by Sadie Jones (Mrs. Henry Walters), New York, 1931; Mrs. Henry Walters Sale, New York, 1942; purchased by Joseph Brummer, New York, 1942; purchased by Walters Art Museum, 1942.
date
18th century
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
intaglios (sculptural objects)
gems
imageCount
2
pageCount
2
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
1.5
height
1.3
depth
0.2
dimensionsRaw
H: 9/16 × W: 1/2 × D: 1/16 in. (1.5 × 1.3 × 0.2 cm)
Source extras
inscriptions
[Inscription]
med
red jasper
creator_ids
6200
collection_ids
EAN
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
6490abd0746b0411
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
16f3ea2f75132a9e
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no