The person who first wore this engraved gem in a ring was witness to the Golden Age of Rome. The pagan subject matter gives only a small hint about that ancient life, while the rest is left to the imagination. Did it belong to an official in the Imperial court? A priestess at the temple of the god? Someone who had actually visited the great cities of Rome and Alexandria and seen their ancient wonders? To wear this lovely gem today is to link us directly with that vanished person who cherished it so long ago and to write our own charter in ifs history.

This Roman Intaglio seal is set in a beautiful 18 karat gold ring. 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 the 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, a set of drills, and abrasives, absolutely necessary since the minerals used were too hard for a metal edge to leave as much as a scratch on them. A special difficulty of engraving intaglios, aside from their miniature size, was that the master had to work with a mirror image in mind. The creation of gems was a great exploit, done for a love of the beautiful. The hardness of the minerals made them truly everlasting. Today they remain as fresh as ever, unaffected by the flow of centuries. The ancient masters of glyptics used a wide range of themes, which reflected literally every aspect of the spiritual and material culture of the ancient world: politics, religion, literature, theater, mythology and everyday life. In some cases miniature gems are the only source of information on the life of the ancient world. Most valuable among these are reproductions of lost masterpieces of Greek painting and plastic art. Ancient glyptics reached full bloom in the classical period. Gems of this time, with their profoundly humanistic approach, their precise outlines, the freedom and perfection of the composition and splendid quality of the stones, are true masterpieces. In this stunning example, we see exceptional craftsmanship and dramatic energy displayed in a carnelian intaglio depicting a Warrior Gad. In the midst of battle, this helmeted god holds a bow in his left hand, while the right hand reaches behind to pull an arrow from his quiver. Caught in moment of action, we are captivated by the go d' s dynamic energy, unquestionably, the Roman artist' s not only knew their craft extremely well, but were divinely inspired when it came time to create a masterpiece such as this.