Roman

In Greek and Roman society, carved gemstones called intaglios functioned as personal signatures. The stones could be pressed into a small bit of clay or wax to form a reverse impression; the result would be affixed to documents to indicate the owner’s involvement with the associated material. A broad range of icons were chosen as personal marks. In later periods, intaglio carvings became valued for their aesthetic beauty and material value, and many Emperors formed large collections of the gems. Collecting intaglios remained popular throughout much of European history. Our “Dioskourides” intaglio, once attributed to a famous gem carver of classical Rome, is now thought to be a product of early modern Europe.