Classical Revival Intaglio of Janus Head, 18th Century CE
Carnelian-Gold
FJ.6580
Further images
This intaglio is set in a 24 karat gold ring. This unique intaglio shows a double- faced head with the left face appearing older with a beard, and the right...
This intaglio is set in a 24 karat gold ring.
This unique intaglio shows a double- faced head with the left face appearing older with a beard, and the right one wearing an elephant's scalp headdress. This latter image is quite unusual, but it does appear on coins of Demetrius 1 a Graeco-Bactrian king (c.186 - 170 B.C.). There appears to be a thick curl like a ram' s horn attached to the bearded man' s headdress, along with a crown, similar to the curved extension seen on coins of Alexander the Great. The engraver may have wished to incorporate these images in a Janusform, thus symbolizing the enormous power of these two great kings.
This unique intaglio shows a double- faced head with the left face appearing older with a beard, and the right one wearing an elephant's scalp headdress. This latter image is quite unusual, but it does appear on coins of Demetrius 1 a Graeco-Bactrian king (c.186 - 170 B.C.). There appears to be a thick curl like a ram' s horn attached to the bearded man' s headdress, along with a crown, similar to the curved extension seen on coins of Alexander the Great. The engraver may have wished to incorporate these images in a Janusform, thus symbolizing the enormous power of these two great kings.