Description

The intaglio, dated to the Roman era of the 1^st century AD, features an engraved depiction of Minerva, goddess of wisdom and war waged for just causes, who is depicted here according to a widespread, but unusual, iconography that sees her seated on a throne, accompanied by the classic crested helmet and, in this case, flanked by the iconography of Victory who is personified by an eagle. This intaglio, called "nicolo", is made of onyx, characterised by a bluish-grey tinge on the surface and a darker shade on the lower area, and has small dimensions. Some examples of Roman nicoli are preserved in the British Museum in London: inv. 1923,0401.195; inv. 1950,1206.1; inv. 1814,0704.1646. Other examples can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum in New York: inv. 52.10; inv. 41,160,487; inv. 44.2.4.

Period:  1^st – 2^nd century A.D.

Top size: 14,5 mm

Ring size: 7

Weight: 5,2 gr