Roman Glass Intaglio - Portrait of a Bearded Man, Pale Green

Roman, Imperial period. An oval intaglio in translucent pale green glass, with a gently domed upper face. The intaglio shows a portrait bust of a bearded man in profile facing left. His hair rises in a thick, wavy mass above the brow, and a full beard frames the jaw. The features are compact and modeled with economy. Like most Roman glass gems, it was likely pressed in a mold taken from a carved hardstone original. Glass let the look of an engraved stone reach a wider market. The size suits a finger-ring bezel, where it could serve as a personal seal or an ornament. Engraved gems were part of daily life in Rome. They were set in rings and pressed into wax or clay to seal documents, storerooms, and correspondence. Glass versions, cast from molds of engraved originals, copied the look of carnelian, chalcedony, and other hardstones at a much lower cost. Full beards and thick, curling hair became the fashion for Roman men after the emperor Hadrian (r. 117-138 CE) wore a beard, and the style stayed popular under the Antonine and Severan emperors. Private portrait gems often followed the imperial look. That makes it hard to say whether a given bearded head shows a particular ruler, a philosopher type, or the owner himself. Item # 205244

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