Description:

Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st to 2nd century CE.; Northern Europe, England, Chester, ca. 1913 CE. An impressive Roman carnelian intaglio featuring the image of Romulus and Remus being suckled by the she-wolf with 2 shepherds above, all set in an English 20th-century copper ring to be wearable. The she-wolf tenderly bends her head inward toward the infants, holding a long object in her mouth. A pair of figures with shepherd crooks converse at the top, only their upper bodies are shown above a ground line. The composition bears a striking resemblance to the Altar of Romulus and Remus constructed at the end of the reign of Trajan (98-117 CE) from the portico of the Piazzale dei Corporazioni in Ostia Antica (now found in the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme in Rome). Size of intaglio: 0.8" L x 0.6" W (2 cm x 1.5 cm); of ring: 1.1" L x 0.9" W (2.8 cm x 2.3 cm); US ring size: 10.5; metal quality: 48.8% copper, 38.1% gold, 11.13% silver; weight: 6.7 grams

According to tradition, Rome was founded by the twins Romulus and Remus. Sons of the god Mars and a mortal woman named Rhea Silvia, a direct descendant of Aeneas, the twins were abandoned by their uncle in the Tibur river. This intaglio depicts the moment when a she-wolf discovered them and suckled them until they were taken in by a passing shepherd, Faustulus. Faustulus raised the boys together with his own twelve children until they decided to found a city of their own. They chose the spot by the Tibur where they had been rescued by the wolf, which was near the base of the Palatine hill in Rome. The representation of the wolf suckling the twins became a popular subject in Roman Republican and Imperial art. A beautiful ring portraying a touching maternal moment and an important mythological tale in the history of ancient Rome!

According to tradition, Rome was founded by the twins Romulus and Remus. Sons of the god Mars and a mortal woman named Rhea Silvia, a direct descendant of Aeneas, the twins were abandoned by their uncle in the Tibur river. This intaglio depicts the moment when a she-wolf discovered them and suckled them until they were taken in by a passing shepherd, Faustulus. Faustulus raised the boys together with his own twelve children until they decided to found a city of their own. They chose the spot by the Tibur where they had been rescued by the wolf, which was near the base of the Palatine hill in Rome. The representation of the wolf suckling the twins became a popular subject in Roman Republican and Imperial art. A beautiful ring portraying a touching maternal moment and an important mythological tale in the history of ancient Rome!

Provenance: ex-Dr. Corinne Bronfman estate, Washington D.C., USA, acquired via descent; ex-Marjorie Bronfman collection, Montreal, Canada, acquired March 31,1966

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#186732

  • Condition: Ancient intaglio set in a 20th-century copper ring to be wearable. Light surface wear as shown, but otherwise, ring and intaglio are intact and in overall excellent condition with good remaining detail. British hallmarks on interior of ring band indicate the ring was made in Chester in 1913.

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October 25, 2024 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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