Notae Numismaticae - Zapiski Numizmatyczne (12.2017)

RECENZJE / REVIEWS

How is it that the book has such an effect on the reader? The reason for this
is that all three of the volume’s co-authors did their job splendidly. The book
is aesthetically pleasing, for the photographs of the gems and other objects in
the collection have been masterfully taken and printed in colour. This is the first
advantage of this publication, and it is good to see that the presentation of gems in
colour is now becoming a standard practice. What with the pictures having been
printed in colour, the co-authors can rest assured that their work will attract far
morę readers. Fortunately, the intaglios have been photographed together with their
impressions; this enormously facilitates their study, especially if they bear portraits.
Moreover, the descriptions of the items are cohesive and provide the reader with
a good portion of information. The best and most interesting pieces in the collection
have received far longer descriptions. These include the agate cameo bearing a bust
of a nymph (no. 66), the Staufer cameo depicting Heracles wrestling the Nemean lion
(no. 108), the cameo with an Indian rhinoceros - the so-called “Marvel of Lisbon”
(no. 125) - or another gem carved with a Staufer eagle (no. 129) as well as some
other exceptional cameos (nos. 247, 250, 254), intaglios (nos. 142, 229 and 255),
and rings (nos. 213-215, 221 and 230). These were often written by other experts
of glyptic art, such as Antonio Giuliano, Jeremy Warren, Jeffrey Spier, Marian
Campbell, and John Cherry.
There are many morę intaglios and cameos that are exceptional in terms of their
artistic virtuosity and unconventional themes. It is not possible to do morę here than
single out a few morę of the highlights and report the general subjects as well as make
a few criticisms. For instance, among the works in the round, there is a splendid agate
portraying Queen Elisabeth I as Omphale - it is a highly propagandistic piece (no. 1).
The collection includes a magnificent and rare turquoise bust of Emperor Domitian
(no. 2), which might be compared to another one in chalcedony, now in Florence.1
No. 3 depicts the head of a Ptolemaic queen, but dating it poses problems. It may
be a 3rd-century BC work sińce heads of Hellenistic queens in precious Stones were
seldom copied or “invented” in the post-classical period, in contrast to the heads of
Roman empresses. In our opinion, while no. 8, which presents an Isis vase, is indeed
a bit suspicious, still it might be of ancient datę - compare a similar vase believed
to be an Osiris Canopic jar from Florence.2 Furthermore, no. 10 might be an ancient
work as well sińce there are many known examples from the Roman Imperial period
that depict heads or even whole animals cut in precious Stones (usually rock ery stal).3

1 GAGETTI 2016: 300-301, no. 68.
2 GUIDOTTI 2016: 252-253, no. 43.
3 See for instance the eagle’sheadin: MUSCILLO 2016: 164-165, no. 4; and the horse’sheadin: GAGETTI
2016: 212-213, no. 26. Morę literaturę is indicated in the latter source.

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