Engraved Gems: From Antiquity To The Present (papers On Archaeology Of The Leiden Museum Of Antiquities)

In 2013 a large collection of circa 4,300 engraved gems and circa 20,000 impressions was transferred from the former GeldMuseum in Utrecht to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden. This nearly quadrupled the amount of engraved gems in the Leiden collection and provided the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden with a valuable component of engraved gems and impressions from the sixteenth century and later. This group of objects greatly facilitates the growing field of interest in the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden known as the 'reception of antiquity'. This field not only makes the connection of antiquity to the present visible, as stated in the museum mission, it also shows the development of this connection. Several contributions to this volume provide examples of how the past is relevant in understanding our present society and culture. The individual engraved gems enrich the departmental collections of the ancient Near East, Egypt, the Classical World and the Middle Ages. Several objects, such as the Gemma Constantiniana, the 'Livia Cameo' and the tureen of Amalia van Solms, are unique and rightfully called masterpieces. These pieces and many more took pride of place at the gem exhibition Splendour & precision on the subject of engraved gems, their makers, users and reusers. The conference From cylinder seals to Lippert's dactyliotheca, held in Leiden on 2-4 November 2016, aimed to revive interest in the Leiden collection of engraved gems, presenting formerly unpublished material to international specialists and resulting in the present publication which is the first major publication on the collection since 1978. The Engraved Gems project, which started in winter 2013 with the arrival of the engraved gems in Leiden, and ended with the conference in November 2016, was made possible by a number of people. The project was supervised by Heikki Pauts, the photographs were realized by Robbert-Jan Looman and the registration by Ben van den Bercken. The exhibition Splendour & precision was supervised by Tanja van der Zon and the project curators Selkit Verberk and Ben van den Bercken. The latter together with Vivian Baan assumed the role of editors for this volume. The publication would not have been possible without the contributions made by the international specialists who have so generously participated in discussions about the gems in the Leiden collection. The round table discussion during the conference provided new material for discussion and further discoveries into the unknown and unpublished parts of the collection. ## Wim Weijland Director Rijksmuseum van Oudheden 9 engraved gems in leiden Engraved gems in Leiden Ben van den Bercken\* 1 Halbertsma 2003, 39-42. 2 As not all names of institutions mentioned translate easily into English, the institution names in this publication are generally given in their native language, for example, 'Rijksmuseum van Oudheden' instead of 'National Museum of Antiquities'. 3 For an overview of the history of the collection, see Many are no larger than a fingertip. They are engraved with symbols, magic spells and images of gods, animals and emperors. These stones were used for various purposes. The earliest ones served as seals for making impressions in soft materials. Later engraved gems were worn or carried as personal ornaments usually rings, but sometimes talismans or amulets. The exquisite engraved designs were thought to imbue the gems with special powers. For example, the gods and rituals depicted on cylinder seals from Mesopotamia were thought to protect property and to lend force to agreements marked with the seals. This edited volume discusses some of the finest and most exceptional precious and semi-precious stones from the collection of the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities more than 5.800 engraved gems from the ancient Near East, Egypt, the classical world, renaissance and 17th-20th centuries and other special collections throughout Europe. Meet the people behind engraved gem engravers, the people that used the gems, the people that re-used them and above all the gem collectors. This is the first major publication on engraved gems in the collection of the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden since 1978. Table of Preface Wim Weijland, director Rijksmuseum van Oudheden Introduction Ben van den Bercken (assistant curator Engraved Gems, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden) 1. Roman Gems in Old Collections and in Modern Archaeology Martin Henig (member of the Faculty of Classics at University of Oxford and honorary professor at University College London) 2. Cassandra on Seals. Ring Stone Images as an Example Marianne Kleibrink (professor emeritus Classical and Mediterranean Archaeology, Groningen University) 3. Some Cameos in Leiden Roman to Neoclassicism Gertrud Platz-Horster (former vice director Antikensammlung, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin) 4. The Original RMO Engraved Gem Gem Identification and Applied Research Techniques Hanco Zwaan and Christine Swaving (Naturalis Biodiversity Center/Netherlands Gemmological Laboratory, Leiden) 5. An Important Collection of Mesopotamian Cylinder Seals. Diederik J.W. Meijer (associate professor Near Eastern Archaeology, Leiden University) 6. Sasanian Owners and Re-users Rika Gyselen (directeur de recherche CNRS, mrite, Mondes iranien et indien) 7. Invocations to Hermes and Aphrodite on Two Engraved Gems in Leiden Attilio Mastrocinque (professor of Roman history, University of Verona) 8. The Importance of Gems in the Work of Peter Paul Rubens 1577-1640 Marcia Pointon (professor emeritus in History of Art, University of Manchester) 9. Post-Classical Cameos, their Makers and Users Claudia Wagner (senior research lecturer at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford) 10. Princely Some Cameo Vessels from the Middle of the Seventeenth Century and their Patrons Jrgen Hein (senior curator of the Royal Danish Collection at Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen) 11. A Treasure, a Schoolmaster, a Pass-Time Dactyliothecae in the 18th and 19th Centuries and their Function as Teaching Aids in Schools and Universities Valentin Kockel (professor emeritus for Classical Archaeology, University of Augsburg) 12. Non Grylloi, Baskania Sunt. On the Significance of the So Called Grylloi/Grilli or Grylli in Greek and Roman Glyptics Carina Weiss, (independent researcher, Archaeological Institute of the University of Wrzburg) 13. Another Perspective on the So Called Grylloi Selkit Verberk (assistant curator Engraved Gems, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden) 14. Some Unpublished Scarabs from the Leiden Collection Ben van den Bercken (assistant curator Engraved Gems, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden) Many Are No Larger Than A Fingertip. They Are Engraved With Symbols, Magic Spells And Images Of Gods, Animals And Emperors. These Stones Were Used For Various Purposes. The Earliest Ones Served As Seals For Making Impressions In Soft Materials. Later Engraved Gems Were Worn Or Carried As Personal Ornaments - Usually Rings, But Sometimes Talismans Or Amulets. The Exquisite Engraved Designs Were Thought To Imbue The Gems With Special Powers. For Example, The Gods And Rituals Depicted On Cylinder Seals From Mesopotamia Were Thought To Protect Property And To Lend Force To Agreements Marked With The Seals. This Edited Volume Discusses Some Of The Finest And Most Exceptional Precious And Semi-precious Stones From The Collection Of The Dutch National Museum Of Antiquities - More Than 5.800 Engraved Gems From The Ancient Near East, Egypt, The Classical World, Renaissance And 17th-20th Centuries - And Other Special Collections Throughout Europe. Meet The People Behind Engraved Gems: Gem Engravers, The People That Used The Gems, The People That Re-used Them And Above All The Gem Collectors. This Is The First Major Publication On Engraved Gems In The Collection Of The National Museum Of Antiquities In Leiden Since 1978 Edited By B.j.l. Van Den Bercken & V.c.p. Baan. Proceedings Of International Conference From Cylinder Seals To Lippert's Dactyliotheca, Held November 2-4, 2016 In Leiden. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 167-182). Many are no larger than a fingertip. They are engraved with symbols, magic spells and images of gods, animals and emperors. These stones were used for various purposes. The earliest ones served as seals for making impressions in soft materials. Later engraved gems were worn or carried as personal ornaments? usually rings, but sometimes talismans or amulets. The exquisite engraved designs were thought to imbue the gems with special powers. For example, the gods and rituals depicted on cylinder seals from Mesopotamia were thought to protect property and to lend force to agreements marked with the seals.00This edited volume discusses some of the finest and most exceptional precious and semi-precious stones from the collection of the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities? more than 5.800 engraved gems from the ancient Near East, Egypt, the classical world, renaissance and 17th-20th centuries? and other special collections throughout Europe. Meet the people behind engraved gems: gem engravers, the people that used the gems, the people that re-used them and above all the gem collectors. This is the first major publication on engraved gems in the collection of the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden since 1978