Roman Emerald or Serpentine Intaglio Depicting the Bust of Alexander the Great in the Guise of Herakle
This Ancient Seal Has Been Mounted in a 22 Karat Roman Style Gold Ring From the 1930’
The art of glyptics, or carving images 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.

This stunning ring, created in the 1930’s, is modeled after ancient Roman examples. The elegantly refined form of the ring highlights the ancient seal without distracting attention away from it. The chiseled portrait of Alexander the Great, one of history’s most celebrated leaders, resembles the mighty god Herakles wearing the Nemean Lion’s skin. This resemblance is not by any means accidental; but was instead purposefully propagated by Alexander as part of his carefully groomed legend. This beautiful ring emulates the enduring taste and style of the Classics and surely would have been just as admired in antiquity as it is today.