Rights Holder: Museum of London
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Unique ID: LON-8B0AE6
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A Roman nicolo intaglio dating to the 1st-2nd century AD. The stone has been cut so that it has an oval outer face with steep sloping sides. The base is also oval shaped but convex. The stone is onyx. Onyx stones with white outer surfaces were carved to create the banded navy/black to light blue seen in this example. The convex shape is consistent with earlier examples of intaglio, with the later markets being dominated by flat cut stones (Zienkiewicz, 1987, 13).
The intaglio is decorated with a carved figure standing right, both arms raised and possibly holding accompanying objects. There are two possible interpretations for the representation of the figure carved into the stone. One is that of Bonus Eventus, a common image in Roman intaglio decoration (Johns, 1997, 22). A parallel for this can be found in Zienkiewicz (1987, 3). The depiction on this intaglio would be holding a bow in his left hand with prey in his right. Alternatively the image could be a depiction of Venus Anadyomene, with arms raised to her hair. A parallel for this can be found in Johns (1997, no. 186) coming from the Snettisham Hoard, which dates to the 2nd century AD. Unfortunately this intaglio has been heavily worn and it is difficult to discern the individual depicted to any further extent.
Similar examples can also be found on the PAS database: Bonus Eventus - NLM-382206; Venus - SWYOR-700C82.
Dimensions: length: 12.68 mm; width: 10.96 mm; thickness: 3.67 mm; weight: 0.73g.
References: Johns, C. 1997. The Snettisham Roman Jeweller's Hoard. London: British Museum Press.
Zienkiewicz, J. D. 1987. Roman Gems From Caerleon. Cardiff: National Museum of Wales.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 43
Date to: Circa AD 200
Quantity: 1
Length: 12.68 mm
Width: 10.96 mm
Thickness: 3.67 mm
Weight: 0.73 g
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Primary material: Gem
Manufacture method: Hand made
Decoration style: Figurative
Completeness: Uncertain
4 Figure: TQ3280
Four figure Latitude: 51.5035277
Four figure longitude: -0.09955492
1:25K map: TQ3280
1:10K map: TQ38SW
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.