Carlo Costanzi (attributed To). Beautiful Chalcedony Intaglio Mounted On A Pendant Brooch

Intaglio 19 × 22 mm; Setting 25 × 30 mm;
Weight 19.92 g
Intaglio: Early 18th century

A beautiful chalcedony intaglio attributed to Carlo Costanzi, depicting a portrait of Alexander the Great wearing a helmet, mounted on a later brooch-pendant in brushed gold, with diamond-set borders.
Alexander is depicted in bust form, his helmeted head in profile facing left. The helmet, whose crest is adorned with a figurative scene in relief, reveals his hair in long, undulating curls that fall down the nape of his neck; a drape covers his shoulder. The deep and expansive engraving captures the contours of the face—straight profile, full lips, wide-open eye—with the virtuosity of the great engravers of the Settecento. The impression reveals the full subtlety of the modeling, right down to the helmet’s decoration.

Carlo Costanzi, known as il cavaliere Costanzi Napolitano, trained by his father Giovanni in the family’s Roman workshop, was one of the most famous gem engravers in 18th-century Europe. Sought after by royal courts and major collectors, and praised for his portraits and interpretations of classical motifs, he elevated gem engraving to the status of a fine art. The head of Alexander, the ideal ruler and heroic model, is among his documented subjects.

Iconography
Alexander the Great, conqueror and student of Aristotle, was for the 18th century the embodiment of the ancient hero—youth, genius, and glory united in a single profile. His helmeted portrait, derived from Hellenistic coins and ancient gemstones, was a favorite subject among collectors.
The Setting
A late-period gold brooch-pendant with a brushed rectangular frame, two borders set with diamonds on white gold; reverse fitted with a pin and a loop: the piece can be worn as either a brooch or a pendant.

Comparable pieces
For the same subject by the same engraver, see: – Paoletti, vol. II, p. 311, no. 384, “Agate intaglio by Carlo Costanzi.” – Cades 63, “opere del cav. Carlo Costanzi Napolitano,” 49: “Testa Alessandro Magno in agata.” – *Le Gemme dei Medici al Museo degli Argenti*, p. 397, no. 580.