ROMAN CARNELIAN INTAGLIO WITH EROTIC SCENE IN GOLD RING

Ca. AD 100 - 300. A carnelian intaglio engraved with an erotic scene of a nude woman reclining at right on a four-legged kline set on a groundline, with a nude man at left. A fringed cover hangs along the side of the couch. Set in a possibly later gold ring, the gem is held in a raised oval collet above a bezel plate bordered with granulation, joined to a broad flat-section hoop widening across the shoulders. Size: D:18.95mm / US: 9 / UK: R 1/2; Weight: 7.2g Provenance: Private central London collection; previously acquired on the UK art market before 2000. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.