The art of glyptics, or carving on colored precious stones, is probably one of the oldest known to humanity. Intaglios, gems with an incised design, were made as early as the fourth and third millennia BC in Mesopotamia and Aegean Islands. They display a virtuosity of execution that suggests an old and stable tradition rooted in the earliest centuries. The tools required for carving gems were simple: a wheel with a belt-drive and a set of drills. Abrasives were necessary since the minerals used were too hard for a metal edge. A special difficultly of engraving intaglios, aside from their miniature size, was that the master had to work with a mirror image in mind. Mother Goddess, divinity of agriculture, deity of the earth's fruits (especially corn), Demeter was closely associated in legend with her daughter Persephone. According to myth, while picking a narcissus one afternoon the ground opened up to reveal the god of the underworld Hades, who then proceeded to drag the young girl to his netherworld kingdom. In protest Demeter refused her divine role, resulting in the earth turning sterile. Zeus stepped in to arbitrate and a compromise was reached whereby Persephone would spend half of the year with her mother, and the other half with Hades. When she came above ground was the time of growth and harvest. Demeter is seen on this handsome intaglio holding her trademark ear of corn. Her headdress and flowing hair are very finely engraved, as is the delightful detail of her profile. Her expression seems one of happiness, which suggests she is about to welcome her beloved daughter back to the world.