19th-Century Gold Ring.with Greek Hellenistic Amethyst Intaglio of a Youth,

Exceptional Greek Hellenistic Amethyst Intaglio of a Youth, Set in a 19th-Century Gold Ring.

Greece, 2nd century B.C. (stone).

Mounting, first half of the 19th century.

Measurements
Intaglio: 1.4 × 1.3 × 0.5 cm
Ring size: M UK / 6.25 US / 52.5 EU
Weight: 4.47 grams

An outstanding Hellenistic intaglio, carved from a rich violet amethyst and set in an unmarked but high-carat gold ring, testing as a minimum of 18 carat. The intaglio is engraved with the head of a youth in profile to the right, the features modelled with great delicacy: the softly contoured face, finely incised lips, and sharply defined eye with engraved iris and pupil. The hair is rendered in luxuriant curling locks, deeply cut and striated, giving a sense of vitality and movement. The images of the wax impressions capture the refinement of the engraving, testifying to the skill of a master gem-cutter active in the Hellenistic world.

The reverse of the gem is polished en cabochon, intensifying the translucency of the stone. The mounting, dating to the first half of the 19th century, is characteristic of the neoclassical revival: a broad openwork hatched gallery rises from tripartite foliate shoulders, the hoop elegantly chased with leaf ornament. The ring shows evidence of historic resizing to the reverse of the shank, reflecting its use and continued appreciation across generations. Such settings embody the cultivated taste of the period for re-mounting ancient gems as distinguished jewels of classical refinement.

The portrait type, with its idealised physiognomy and luxuriant hairstyle, corresponds closely to dynastic images of the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt. While not a formal likeness, the intaglio may represent an idealised prince, embodying the Hellenistic interplay between naturalistic detail and dynastic idealisation.

Condition
There are small nibbles to the edge of the stone. At the upper right (1 o’clock) a chip is visible under magnification, with another to the lower left (7 o’clock). On the reverse these losses are more apparent, though they do not detract from the beauty or legibility of the engraving. Indeed, the classicist who commissioned the 19th-century mounting clearly considered the intaglio of sufficient importance to be set in gold despite these imperfections. It is also possible that such damages form part of the gem’s ancient history: as gold was always highly prized, thefts in antiquity sometimes resulted in jewels being violently prised from their settings, the gems discarded and the gold melted for bullion. The shank shows signs of historic resizing to the reverse, a discreet adjustment that does not compromise its wearability or integrity.

Comparisons
• M.-L. Vollenweider, Camées et intailles. Tome I: Les Portraits grecs du Cabinet des médailles, pl. 67, nos. 123–124 (La dynastie des Ptolémées).

Provenance
• Previously sold: Bertolami Fine Arts, Auction 107 – Glyptics, with a selection of Poniatowski gems formerly in the collection of Prince S. Poniatowski (1754–1833), London, 22 April 2022, lot 68 (hammer price: £26,000).
• Subsequently UK private collection; English art market. The 19th-century mount suggests it derived from a cultivated collection of classical gems re-set during the neoclassical revival period.