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E-SHOP / Engraved gems / Intaglios / a roman republican carnelian intaglio. nemesis with butterfly.

A Roman Republican Carnelian Intaglio. Nemesis with butterfly.

£ 4200

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e-shop / engraved gems / intaglios /

a roman republican carnelian intaglio. nemesis with butterfly.

A Roman Republican Carnelian Intaglio. Nemesis with butterfly.

£ 4200

H. 15 mm (with the frame)
Intaglio dim. 9 x 13 mm
Roman Republican period, Late 1st century BC 

Nemesis is shown standing to the left, delicately raising a fold of her peplos with one hand. The carving displays exceptional refinement in the treatment of both the flowing drapery and the finely detailed feathers of her wings. Before the goddess, a butterfly hovers in flight toward the left.
This iconographic type finds a compelling parallel in the extremely rare aureus issued by the Caesarian moneyer C. Vibius Varus in 42 BC (Crawford 494/35), on which Nemesis appears on the reverse in a strikingly similar stance, albeit facing right. That coin—a unicum in Republican coinage—was struck on the eve of the Battle of Philippi, and its imagery belongs to the broader ideological programme of the Caesarian faction: Nemesis embodies divine retribution, the righteous vengeance meant to restore an order shattered by the assassination of Julius Caesar. The choice of this figure, unprecedented in traditional Republican monetary iconography, attests to the intensification of symbolic discourse and the progressive sacralisation of political conflict in the late Republic.

In the present gem, however, Nemesis is paired with a butterfly—an association not found in standard Roman public imagery. In Greek, ψυχή (psychḗ) denotes both "soul" and "butterfly," and in the classical imagination the insect served as a powerful metaphor for the life-force departing the body, reinforced by the creature's own metamorphosis from caterpillar to chrysalis to winged form.

Within the more intimate sphere of private glyptic—as opposed to state-sponsored coinage—such a pairing likely carried apotropaic and eschatological resonances. The goddess may here be understood as the guarantor of the soul's destiny, an embodiment of a cosmic justice that extends beyond earthly existence to encompass the posthumous fate of the psychḗ.
From a private collection since the 19th century based on the gilded paper frame. 
M.H Crawford, ‘Roman Republican Coinage’, I-II, London: Cambridge University Press, 1974, n. 494/35

Each piece of jewellery is delivered with an authentification certificate signed by Bianca Massard and Gabriele Vangelli de Cresci experts, including additional documentation if existing and exhaustive description of the piece.
Pictures are part of the description and show state of conservation of the item. For additional pictures please contact us. (see contact section)

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Each piece of jewellery is delivered with an authentification certificate signed by Bianca Massard and Gabriele Vangelli de Cresci experts, including additional documentation if existing and exhaustive description of the piece.
Pictures are part of the description and show state of conservation of the item. For additional pictures please contact us. (see contact section)

Shipping and pick-up at the store options can be chosen during check out.

Our exclusive delivery partner is ThePackengers.
ThePackengers, specialized in the packaging and transport of works of art and collectibles, already collaborates with the largest auction houses as Drouot, but also with galleries, fairs, antique dealers, decorators and e-marketplaces.
See our Country List
Shipping Terms and Conditions.
Privacy Policy ThePackengers.

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