CIRCA 1ST CENTURY A.D.

Details

A ROMAN CARNELIAN RINGSTONE WITH A HORSE
CIRCA 1ST CENTURY A.D.
3/8 in. (0.9 cm.) long

Provenance

Giorgio Sangiorgi (1886-1965), Rome, acquired and brought to Switzerland, late 1930s; thence by continuous descent to the current owner.

Special notice

This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

Conditions of sale

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Claudio Corsi Specialist, Head of Department

ccorsi@christies.com +44 (0) 20 7389 2607

Lot Essay

The oval stone is carved with the figure of a horse, standing on a groundline, its head bent down towards its foreleg which is stepped out in front, with bushy thick tail, mane and forelock. For similarly posed horses cf. M. Henig, Classical Gems, Cambridge, 1994, p. 119, no. 223 and pp.169-170, no.362, and M. Maaskant-Kleibrink, Catalogue of the Engraved Gems in the Royal Coin Cabinet The Hague, The Hague, 1978, p. 188, nos 408-409.

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