Lot 173
Northern Europe, England, Neoclassical period, Georgian Era, ca. 18th to 19th century CE. A poignant and finely rendered Georgian-era intaglio ring, this evocative piece marries neoclassical elegance with profound allegorical depth. The intaglio is carved in black glass and set in a rectangular, gold-washed silver bezel atop a delicately twisted silver band, a form both graceful and understated, characteristic of late 18th- to early 19th-century design. The scene it holds is striking: winged Cupid, the Roman god of love, rows a boat across a restless sea, while Father Time - nude and straining forward - holds an hourglass aloft in one hand and steadies his scythe in the other. The vessel, fragile and unmoored, evokes the transitory nature of human life, while the sea stands as an enduring metaphor for the unpredictable passage of time. Size of intaglio: 0.5" W x 0.4" H (1.3 cm x 1 cm); of ring: 0.9" diameter (2.3 cm); US ring size: 6.5; silver quality: 95%; weight: 3.4 grams
In this intimate tableau, Cupid is not merely a passenger in Time's inexorable journey but its very guide - propelling the boat forward with purpose. The imagery encapsulates a powerful Enlightenment-era allegory: "Love makes time pass." Popular in 18th-century sentimental art, this motif reflects the period's fascination with classical mythology, moral virtue, and the emotional forces that shape human experience. A romantic memento mori as much as a love token, this ring speaks to the Georgian era's poetic embrace of ephemerality, affection, and the eternal dance between love and time.
Provenance: ex-T.F. Holy Lands collection, formed since the 1960s
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#193212
- Condition: Small chip to lower part of intaglio that does not affect figures and some light surface wear. Otherwise, intact, excellent, & wearable with good detail and clear imagery.
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