Roman Intaglio - Serapis And Eagle

Roman intaglio depicting Serapis surmounting an eagle, Roman art, 2nd century AD.

This orange carnelian intaglio represents Serapis in profile, a syncretic Greco-Egyptian deity, identifiable by his long, wavy hair, full beard, and the modius, a straight cylinder worn on his head, a symbol of fertility, abundance, and prosperity. Below the figure of Serapis appears an eagle with outstretched wings, a symbol of power and divine protection, accompanied by a star.

The scene is arranged within an architectural frame, around two stylized columns on either side of Serapis, evoking an aedicula (sanctuary façade). This type of framing is attested in Roman glyptics for certain representations of Serapis "in templo," where the architecture, even rendered schematically on the scale of the gem, serves as an explicit marker of the sanctuary and divine status.

During the Imperial period, and particularly in the 2nd century AD, intaglios flourished in the Roman world. Carved from hard or semi-precious stones such as carnelian, agate, or jasper, they served both a practical function as personal seals and a symbolic or apotropaic one. Religious themes played a significant role, with deities invoked as protectors of their wearer. Intaglios could thus affirm a personal identity, a particular devotion, or a search for divine protection, while also reflecting the Roman taste for miniatures and the technical mastery of intaglio engraving.

The engraving is finely executed, displaying clear detail and a balanced composition, characteristic of Roman glyptics from the High Imperial period. Mounted on a later hollow gold ring.

Ring dimensions: 2.8 cm
Intaglio dimensions: 1.5 × 1.7 cm
Ring size: 55
Gross weight: 7.4 g