Code: AM88
This is an unmounted intaglio.
It is made of glass and was designed to be used with hot wax for sealing letters.
I have made an impression of this intaglio using hot wax to show that the intaglio works as intended and also to give a clearer image of the intaglio.
The wax impression comes in a small plastic case and is included with the purchase of this piece
This is an unmounted intaglio.
It is a large and thick oval black glass piece which has a highly detailed image of a cupid holding a pair of butterfly wings
Cupid, the God of Love (also known as Eros), is usually depicted as a mischievous winged boy whose arrows cause the wounded to fall hopelessly in love with the first person they see. In this intaglio Cupid is seeing picking up a pair of butterfly wings. The Greek name for butterfly is Psyche, which also means soul. The pairing of Cupid and Psyche symbolize the complete union of spiritual and physical love.
The quality of the intaglio is superb and you can really see the detailing when you look at the intaglio under an eye glass
I think it may be an original piece from classical antiquity as the subject matter and quality are much higher than on later pieces and was probably cut in the 1800s and sold as a “Grand Tour” memento
The intaglio measures 26mm x 22mm x 6.6mm and is in 95% mint condition
