This Genuine Ancient Seal Has Been Set in a Modern 18 Karat White Gold Rin
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 B.C. in Mesopotamia and the Aegean Islands. They exhibit 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 difficulty of engraving intaglios, aside from their miniature size, was that the master had to work with a mirror-image in mind.

Engraved onto the polished surface of this precious gemstone is an image of a standing deity. The goddess leans against a podium, holding a long lance and wearing a distinctive cap. She stands with her bare backside facing us, only a loosely tied skirt covers the back of her thighs. This image can be interpreted as the Roman goddess of freedom, Libertas. She is traditionally depicted holding a spear and a laurel wreath while wearing a pileus (a type of felt cap). Here the goddess holds something aloft in her right hand, perhaps a laurel wreath, although it is difficult to make out. While the identity of this goddess cannot be definitively determined, the artistry of the engraving is fitting for such a divine subject.