Seal matrix containing a Roman Jasper Intaglio
Unknown Artist
- Art Funded
- 2007
- Dimensions
- 2.85 x 2.34 cm
- Vendor
- Department for Culture, Media and Sport
A high quality intaglio has never been found previously on the Isle of Wight. The gem is cut in the precise classicising style of the 1st century with a depiction of the eternity of the Imperial Victory. A well educated man in the middle Ages would have been aware of the Classical Victory; however he may have interpreted the figure as an angel and the stars as the Heavens glorifying in the birth of the Saviour, Christ.
Provenance
Discovered in Arreton by a metal detectorist and declared Treasure in 2006.