Lot 1
Western Europe, Neoclassical Period, ca. 19th century CE. A splendid carnelian intaglio of ovoid form, skillfully hand-carved with the bust of ancient Greek philosopher Democritus (460 to 370 BCE) facing right and fit into a golden swivel ring setting to be wearable. Boasting a brilliant shade of vermilion, the stunning intaglio depicts the Thracian in profile displaying a furrowed brow of fleshy folds of skin, beady eyes, a sharp nose, and a closed mouth engulfed in a thick beard and moustache. His bald head bares liberal remains of coiled locks which form a crown. Opposite his profile the name "DEMOKRITOS" is inscribed in backwards in Greek script, allowing it to read forwards when stamped. The slender, bifurcated band spirals into a pair of flourishes where it attaches to the incised gold setting of the intaglio via flexible, hinge-like screws. Size (ring): 0.9" Diameter (2.3 cm); (intaglio): 0.7" W x 0.9" H (1.8 cm x 2.3 cm); gold quality: 74.8% (equivalent to 17K+); weight: 5.7 grams; US ring size: 5.25
Considered by many to be the "father of modern science," Democritus was a pre-Socratic philosopher, geometer, mathematician, and physician. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Democritus, known in antiquity as the 'laughing philosopher' because of his emphasis on the value of 'cheerfulness,' was one of the two founders of ancient atomist theory. He elaborated a system originated by his teacher Leucippus into a materialist account of the natural world. The atomists held that there are smallest indivisible bodies from which everything else is composed, and that these move about in an infinite void. Of the ancient materialist accounts of the natural world which did not rely on some kind of teleology or purpose to account for the apparent order and regularity found in the world, atomism was the most influential. Even its chief critic, Aristotle, praised Democritus for arguing from sound considerations appropriate to natural philosophy."
Cf. the Beazley Gems Database at the University of Oxford, 1839-845 and Poniatowski, Stanisław, "Catalogue des pierres gravées antiques de S.A. le Prince Stanislas Poniatowski," 1830: VIII.2.21.
Provenance: private East Coast collection, New York, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#169456
- Condition: A few miniscule nicks to intaglio. Otherwise intact, excellent, and wearable with impressive remaining detail.
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|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |