Western Europe, ca. mid-20th century CE. A dazzling carnelian intaglio of rectangular form hand-carved with the Roman goddess Minerva - Greek Athena - and set in a gold brooch. Boasting a deep hue of burgundy, the lovely intaglio shows the goddess of war seated upon a cuirass, a shield, and a helmet as she gazes to the left. Depicted in profile, the ancient deity presents a strong profile with a sharp nose and protruding chin as a crested helmet caps her head. A lengthy robe cascades in billowing folds down her body as she holds a spear in her right hand and places her left on her hip. The lovely brooch is decoratively incised with undulating vines that surround the intaglio, while its verso features a round hinge and a modern safety catch, allowing it to be pinned to the wearer. The stamp "750" on the back of the bezel indicates that the brooch is made of 75% gold. Size (brooch): 1.3" W x 1.5" H (3.3 cm x 3.8 cm); (intaglio): 0.8" W x 1.1" H (2 cm x 2.8 cm); gold quality: 75.6% (equivalent to 18K+); weight: 9.8 grams

Regarded as the daughter of Jupiter, from whose head she purportedly was born, Minerva was initially worshipped in Rome as one of the Capitoline Triad along with Jupiter and Juno. At first, she was revered as the goddess of handicrafts, poetry, and the arts in general. Over time, Minerva's stature grew within the Roman pantheon, and she became the most important focus of the Quinquatrus festival, which previously had been the domain of Mars, whose amorous affections she famously refused. The five-day festival began on March 19th marking the beginning of the Roman army's campaign season. Minerva also became associated with the concept of victory, as illustrated by Pompey's dedication of a temple to her following his successful campaigns in the east. Similarly, Emperor Domitian claimed the goddess as his protectress and in the second half of the 1st century CE commissioned a temple to her in the Nerva Forum in Rome.

Provenance: private East Coast collection, New York, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#169408

A few light nicks to verso of intaglio. Otherwise, intact, excellent, and wearable with impressively preserved detail.