Hellenistic Engraved Gems

by Dimitris Plantzos

Engraved gems were used by the Greeks as seals and amulets, but were primarily valued as ornaments. Their iconography was drawn from a wide range of motifs and standard devices current in other art forms. In the Hellenistic period gem cutters remained faithful to the classical tradition, but were able to develop new subjects and styles. Portraits, especially of royalty, became the commonest subject in glyptic after Alexander, a practice that continued...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0198150377
• ISBN13: 9780198150374
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Clarendon Press
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.