Fine Jewellery - 7th April 2022
Lot 522
An 18th century sardonyx intaglio depicting the bust of an Emperor (probably Julius Caesar)
Estimate £800 - £1,200 | Hammer £2200
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Description
An 18th century sardonyx intaglio depicting the bust of an Emperor (probably Julius Caesar), in profile and wearing laurels, accompanied by a palm leaf, set in a gold collector's swivel mount, intaglio 1.6cm high, size M approximately
The palm became so closely associated with victory in ancient Roman culture that the Latin word 'palma' could be used as a metonym for "victory". When Julius Caesar secured his rise to sole power with a victory at Pharsalus, a palm tree was supposed to have sprung up miraculously at the Temple of Nike (the Greek counterpart of the goddess Victory).