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Large Roman Intaglio of Caracalla?.

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Vepcorf Registered User Registered: March 2007 Location: York Posts: 224	This is a very large intaglio of Roman date set into a plate brooch very probably reset later in roman antiquity. Proffessor Martin Hennig of Oxford University has told me it could well be of Caracalla in the guise of Hercules. The main thinking of the character being an emperor is the radiate style crown on the head. Martin thinks the gem is of third century date. Septimus severus and his sons did campaign in scotland in 209-210ad and were resident in York where royal ingravers could have also been based at that time. If anyone has any thinking on this I would be greatful. Does it resemble any coin die? or does hercules have the rays coming from his head on any other coin?.
	· Date: March 21, 2007 · Views: 1203 ·
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	Rating: 10.00

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4to2centophilia

Registered User

Registered: February 2006
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 1,197

March 21, 2007 3:12pm

Rating: 10

That is a wonderful intaglio.

Is this the intaglio cited in the Oxford Journal of Archeology?

Volume 21 Issue 4 Page 419 - November 2002

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"When you are in Rome live in the Roman style; when you are elsewhere live as they live elsewhere" St. Ambrose (340-397) to St. Augustine."

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Vepcorf

Registered User

Registered: March 2007
Location: York
Posts: 224

March 21, 2007 3:30pm

I don't know as I have never been told if they were going to write anything on it!. I will certainly try to find the article to validate one way or the other.

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4to2centophilia

Registered User

Registered: February 2006
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 1,197

March 21, 2007 3:34pm

Post this as a new topic on the board. Then folks like Curtis, Barry, Phil, Zach, Roma etc can see it and answer back. They have probably seen every and any Roman coin ever struck.

I found a link to an intaglio with Hercules considered to be Carcalla, but no radiate crown.

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"When you are in Rome live in the Roman style; when you are elsewhere live as they live elsewhere" St. Ambrose (340-397) to St. Augustine."

cogito

Moderator

Registered: March 2005
Location: Piedmont of North Carolina
Posts: 1,691

March 21, 2007 4:38pm

Rating: 10

Again, this is evidence that I need to get one of those metal detectors...and a country with a classical civilization extended beyond 900 years.

Roma_Orbis

Registered User

Registered: December 2005
Location: Paris
Posts: 742

March 22, 2007 8:19am

Rating: 10

another great item

! As a collector of intaglios, I can say that this one is of excellent style, especially for a 3rd cent. AD gem, this could be indeed consistent with the fact that some imperial engravers were present in Britain.
Martin Henig is a great scholar and has published a number of interesting works on engraved gems, so his opinion is very important. Could you maybe make a zoom on the portrait of Hercules (both stone and impression), I seem to see a radiate crown; is the face bearded?
In any case, I've never seen any other intaglio featuring Hercules with a radiate crown (nor do I know a coin or medallion type; Curtis Clay probably would be of great help to confirm this).

Jérôme

CarrollGibson

Registered User

Registered: February 2008
Location: So. Cal.
Posts: 42

November 15, 2008 11:53am

Rating: 10

I don't think the head is radiate. It looks more like curls to me. This engraver was pretty precise in his work . If those details around Hercules head are supposed to be radiates"spikes" they would look like spikes. He was too good an engraver in my opinion.

Carroll

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