Not currently on display at the V&A

Warrior arming

Intaglio
1st century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The art of engraving gemstones can be traced back to ancient Greece in the 8th century BC and earlier. Techniques passed down to the Egyptians and then to the Romans. There were major revivals of interest in engraved gems in Europe during the Byzantine era, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. At each stage cameos and intaglios, these skillful carvings on a minute scale, were much prized and collected, sometimes as symbols of power mounted in jewelled settings, sometimes as small objects for private devotion or enjoyment. This intaglio, engraved from the variety of pale blue and black agate known as 'nicolo', can be dated by comparison to other gems to the early days of Imperial Rome, and shows a warrior arming for battle.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleWarrior arming (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Engraved gemstone
Brief description
Intaglio, oval layered agate, variety 'nicolo', set in 18th century gold ring, depicting a warrior arming, Italy, about 50-150 CE (Graeco-Roman)
Physical description
Vertical oval intaglio. Pale blue top layer over black chalcedony. Depicting a full-lenth figure of a warrior arming. He faces right, wearing a cloak, his right leg bent up and his arms reaching down towards his foot. In front of him is a column bearing a helmet, a shield leaning against the base and a spear next to it.
Dimensions
  • Height: 1.2cm
  • Width: 10mm
Style
Object history
Part of a large and varied collection of nearly eight hundred objects given to the Museum in 1864 by the Reverend Richard Brooke.
Historical context
Engraved gemstones of all dates were widely collected in Italy in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Many were brought back by British Grand Tourists, and important collections were formed.
Production
Ring ca 1800-50

Attribution note: Pale blue over black chalcedony
Subjects depicted
Summary
The art of engraving gemstones can be traced back to ancient Greece in the 8th century BC and earlier. Techniques passed down to the Egyptians and then to the Romans. There were major revivals of interest in engraved gems in Europe during the Byzantine era, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. At each stage cameos and intaglios, these skillful carvings on a minute scale, were much prized and collected, sometimes as symbols of power mounted in jewelled settings, sometimes as small objects for private devotion or enjoyment. This intaglio, engraved from the variety of pale blue and black agate known as 'nicolo', can be dated by comparison to other gems to the early days of Imperial Rome, and shows a warrior arming for battle.
Bibliographic references
  • Inventory of Art Objects acquired in the Year 1864. Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol. 1. London : Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 66
  • Machell Cox, E., Victoria & Albert Museum Catalogue of Engraved Gems, London, Typescript, 1935, Part 1, pp. 54-5
Collection
Accession number
1126-1864

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdMarch 25, 2008
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest