Back at auction due to non-paying bidder…
Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A gorgeous, banded agate intaglio of a crab set in a dazzling gold ring. Boasting natural hues of vanilla, almond, and cream, the convex intaglio features a slender, piecrust bezel as it projects dramatically outward from the smooth ring band, which tapers at the opposite side. The flat face of the stone is hand-carved with a nearly symmetrical crustacean, depicted veristically with claws extended before him. In Greek and Roman mythology, crabs were typically associated with Cancer, or Karkinos in Greek, a giant crab that attacked Hercules on Juno’s orders when he was fighting the Hydra of Lerna. Hercules kills the crab, crushing it under his foot. Cancer is then rewarded for his efforts by Juno who turns him into a constellation. Size of intaglio: 0.4″ L x 0.3″ W (1 cm x 0.8 cm); of ring: 0.9″ L x 0.9″ W (2.3 cm x 2.3 cm); US ring size: 3.5; gold quality: 85.28% (equivalent to 20 karats); weight: 5.7 grams
Condition: A few miniscule chips to piecrust bezel, as well as some minor nicks to band. Otherwise, intact, excellent, and wearable. Great preservation of detail on intaglio. Small encrustations in recessed areas.
Provenance: ex-Davis collection, Houston, Texas, acquired before 2013 from various auction houses in London and New York
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