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A late Renaissance sardonyx cameo set in a later gold ring. Bust of an elderly Roman, after Republican portraiture.

£ 3200

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A late Renaissance sardonyx cameo set in a later gold ring. Bust of an elderly Roman, after Republican portraiture.

£ 3200

Cameo 16 × 11 mm
Later gold ring (9k) – ring size US 6 (UK L½ / EU 52); gross weight 5.6 g.
Cameo: Western Europe, probably Italy, 16th–17th century.
Mounting: 18th century

Good condition; small chip to the lower left edge of the stone, covered by the bezel; minor wear; no visible hallmark.

A gold ring with oval rub-over bezel and tapering shank, set with a sardonyx cameo carved with the bust of an elderly man in profile to the left.The white layer, warmed with honey tones, stands in relief against a brown ground. The drilled pupil gives the gaze a sudden intensity.

Historical context – Renaissance glyptic
Renaissance collectors sought portraits of illustrious Romans, and Italian engravers supplied them all'antica. The veristic manner — bare head, lined face, lean neck — follows the portraits of the late Republic, known from marble busts and coins. The low-carat gold ring is a later addition.

Iconography and symbolism
In Republican Rome, a face marked by age was a claim to virtue. Polybius describes the wax masks of ancestors kept in the atrium and worn at funerals, so that the dead seemed to walk again among the living (Histories VI, 53). A lesson in gravitas.
Marjorie Bronfman collection, Montreal, acquired 31 March 1966.
Dr Corinne Bronfman, Washington D.C., by descent. Artemis Gallery, Louisville (Colorado), 23 August 2024, lot 132B.
English private collection.

POSSIBLE RESIZING : YES

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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)

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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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