A Cameo Ring Depicting Bacchus, Italy or England circa 1800–1820

A Cameo Ring Depicting Bacchus.

Italy or England, circa 1800–1820.

Materials
Honey-coloured agate cameo set in a silver-gilt ring.

Measurements
Ring size: T 1/2 UK / 9.75 US / 62 EU.
Weight: 9.5 grams.

Description
A finely carved cameo in translucent honey and grey-banded agate depicting Bacchus in profile to the right, bald and bearded, with deeply modelled features and flowing curls. The god wears a laurel wreath composed solely of vine leaves, the carving exploiting the natural strata of the stone to lend definition to the facial planes, beard, and drapery.

The gem is mounted within a smooth, oval silver-gilt bezel, the broad hoop tapering towards the back in characteristic Georgian fashion. The softly burnished surface of the gilt silver and the classical restraint of form harmonise beautifully with the ancient subject, typical of early nineteenth-century taste for antique revival cameos. The cameo itself may be marginally earlier, reflecting the period’s appreciation for re-mounting existing engraved gems in fashionable yet dignified settings.

Iconography and Context
Bacchus, Roman god of wine and divine inspiration, appears here in contemplative guise. His serene expression, encircled by vine leaves, evokes not intoxication but introspection — an image aligned with neoclassical ideals of balance, restraint, and learned classicism. Cameos of this subject were admired not only for their mythological resonance but also for their association with the intellectual refinement of antiquity, and were worn as personal emblems of taste and erudition.

Condition
Very good condition with natural inclusions in the stone and light surface wear to the gilding consistent with age.