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 Byantine 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. An intaglio carving is cut into the surface of the material and a cameo is in relief. This intaglio, with its inscription cut in reverse, was clearly intended for use as a sealstone. Until recently it has been assumed that the signature on this gem must refer to John Varley (1778-1842) the painter of landscapes in watercolour, although he is not known to have engraved any gems. However, recent searches have brought to light records of a John Benjamin Varley, 'engraver and jeweller', who traded in London in the Strand and Fleet Street between 1792 and 1830, and this is a far more likely origin for the piece. The subject of the gem has historically been identified as Louis XVI of France. It is almost certain, however, given its British manufacture and source, that is represents the British king George III, the likeness being similar to that on medals and coinage, and also to the younger portrait of the king in a bust dated 1767 by John Nost the Younger (V&A, A.3-1957).