Etruscan scarab with woman and jug
€3,120
available
Object number
AR3417C
| Object: |
Etruscan scarab with woman and jug
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| Material: |
Orange shimmering stone. Carnelian.
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| Period: |
400 BC to 300 BC. Classical antiquity. Late Etruscan. |
| Description: |
Scarab with a schematic top side of the beetle. A drill hole runs lengthways through the tall body and was used for threading. The bottom is flat and finely engraved. The imprint shows a woman in an underdress with a coat over her arm that is bent to the side. The hand holds a branch. In her other hand she carries a jug. Above it an opening is visible in the shape of a lion's head from which a stream of water pours down. The scene is framed by an oval band with vertical lines.
The skillful engraving of the piece immediately catches the eye. The scarab is a miniature work of art of high quality and a showpiece of late Etruscan glyptics. |
| Dimensions: |
16mm long, 11.5mm wide, 7mm high.
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| Condition: |
Very good condition. One big chip around one end of the through hole. Otherwise intact and with a great preservation surface and engravings. A modern metal sleeve is located in the through hole. A modern imprint is not included.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us on the British art market in 2022. Previously privately owned by the Sangiorgi family in Switzerland. The scarab was added to the family collection by the well-known antiquities dealer Giorgio Sangiorgi (1886-1965). His gallery was located in the Palazzo Borghese in Rome until the inventory and private collection were transferred to Switzerland in the late 1930ies. In addition to the commercially traded art objects, Sangiorgi built a comprehensive collection of ancient gems, which he acquired in Europe between 1900 and 1939. He published numerous specialist articles on his gem collection.
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| References: |
Cf. J. Spier, Ancient Gems and Finger Rings, The J. Paul Getty Museum (1992), p. 69, no. 141.
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| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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