2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.

Details

A ROMAN RED JASPER INTAGLIO WITH GRYLLUS
2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
Composed of a boar's head to the left joined to a head of Silenus facing right, a thyrsos in the boar's mouth, possibly a hare partially concealed behind, in late 19th Century ring setting
1.8 x 1.4 cm.; 1.9 cm. across hoop

Special notice

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Lot Essay

Cf. M. Henig, A Corpus of Engraved Gemstones from British Sites Oxford, 1978, p. 232, no. 377. Henig writes "the boar was the huntsman's quarry par excellence, and many stories are told of encounters between men and this dangerous wild animal. Boars' heads are common motifs on combinations as symbols of good fortune and success in the chase. Hares also bring the hunt to mind...".

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