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a grand tour carnelian intaglio. the death of othryades.

A Grand Tour Carnelian intaglio. The Death of Othryades.

£4500

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e-shop /

a grand tour carnelian intaglio. the death of othryades.

A Grand Tour Carnelian intaglio. The Death of Othryades.

£4500

Carnelian
1.2 x 1.5 x 0.3 cm (0 ¹/₂ x 0 ⁵/₈ x 0 ¹/₈ inches)
18th century

The intaglio shows a seated male figure, his head lying on his shield. With spears, and breastplate. The bearded man has his eyes closed, the facial expression suggests the man's abandonment towards the Beyond. The anatomical details, as well as the incised details on the weapons, and their rendering denote great finesse of execution.
The composition of the scene is reminiscent of certain contemporary statuary groups representing the Spartan hero Othryades, tired of having survived his companions, he is represented laying down his weapons and killing himself. (cf. an engraving dating from 1781, showing an intaglio on carnelian).

Othryades is a Spartan warrior who gives victory to the Lacedaemonian state at the Battle of the Champions in -546. He is frequently cited by ancient authors, like Leonidas and the Three Hundred of Thermopylae, as an example of Spartan heroism. By tradition, Othryades was ashamed to be the only man in his unit to live, and so he killed himself on the field of battle rather than return to Sparta. The reason for the suicide is up for debate, but the act is of great importance.


Platz-Horster, citing Cades, refers that one similar intaglio has been executed by Calandrelli, copying an ancient gem. 

Formerly, J.Adrien Blanchet (1866-1957), numismat collector
In the same family, until 2012
Private collection 

For a similar scene see
Cades 74, 9 I I
Paoletti VII, I 66
Platz-Horster 7, C37

Each piece of jewellery is delivered with an authentification certificate signed by Bianca Massard and Gabriele Vangelli experts, including additional documentation if existing and exhaustive description of the piece.

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Approximate delivery time from date of dispatch are:
- United Kingdom 3-6 Business Days
- Europe 6-10 Business Days
- USA, Canada & Far East 6-10 Business Days
- Rest of the World 10-12 Business Days

Please note that if you choose to have resizing, the delivery delay can be longer. 
For international orders and EU, ne aware that all orders can be subject to additional government duties and fees. These charges are solely determined by the arrival of countries customs authorities. The amount of duties and taxes will be charged upon delivery. 

Each piece of jewellery is delivered with an authentification certificate signed by Bianca Massard and Gabriele Vangelli experts, including additional documentation if existing and exhaustive description of the piece.

We deliver worldwide.
Check if your country is on our list

Approximate delivery time from date of dispatch are:
- United Kingdom 3-6 Business Days
- Europe 6-10 Business Days
- USA, Canada & Far East 6-10 Business Days
- Rest of the World 10-12 Business Days

Please note that if you choose to have resizing, the delivery delay can be longer. 
For international orders and EU, ne aware that all orders can be subject to additional government duties and fees. These charges are solely determined by the arrival of countries customs authorities. The amount of duties and taxes will be charged upon delivery. 

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