X302a: Seal with intaglio of the Coliseum
View additional and larger photos
© The Holburne Museum of Art, Bath
| Museum number | X302a |
| Title | Seal with intaglio of the Coliseum |
| Object type | In category: Gems » Intaglio |
| Date | Circa 1800 |
| People |
Unknown - Gem carver(s) Unknown - Jeweller(s) |
| Place of origin | Europe » Southern Europe » Italy » Central Italy » Rome |
| Condition |
Good |
| Dimensions |
2.1 cm height whole 1.5 cm width whole 1.1 cm diameter whole |
| Materials & techniques |
In categories: Metal » Gold Rock/ Mineral » Carnelian/cornelian |
| Description | Gold hoop-shaped fob seal with pendent loop. Set with a rectangular carnelian intaglio engraved with the Coliseum, Rome, within a reeded gold mount. | ||||||
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
||||||
| Style |
Neo-classical
|
||||||
| Subject |
Buildings and gardens |
||||||
| Notes | An intaglio carving is cut into the surface of the material and a cameo is in relief. This intaglio depicts the Coliseum in Rome. It was made in Rome probably as a souvenir for tourists on the Grand Tour. It may even have been purchased by Sir William Holburne when he visited Rome in 1824-25. | ||||||
| Literature |
Gertrude Seidman, 'A Rediscovered Gem Collection in Bath', Jewellery Studies vol. 7 (1996), p.76 fig. 15 |
||||||
| Muse theme | The History of the Holburne Collection |
||||||
| Muse chapter |
The History of the Holburne Collection » Sir William Holburne and his Collection » Establishing taste: Sir William' s Grand Tour, 1824-5
The History of the Holburne Collection » The Collection » Gems and Jewels |
||||||
| Gallery Label |
Intaglios set in 18th and 19th century seals Cornelian, engraved with the Coliseum in a gold hoop-shaped seal. X302a (Unknown) 2006 |
||||||
| Method of acquisition | Bequest | ||||||
| Provenance | Thomas William Holburne (1793-1874); by whom bequeathed to Mary Anne Barbara Holburne (1802-1882), by whom bequeathed to the Museum | ||||||
| Exhibition history |
Title of exhibition: Town House Treasures: Sir Thomas William Holburne of Bath |
