gems, jade, Fischer-Book, glyptic arts

Sinkankas: While the preface discusses engraved gems in general, it is perhaps more noteworthy because of its descriptions of the machinery and tools used by the gem engraver, and remarks on the preparation of the crushed diamond powder used for cutting, with one of the text woodcuts showing the mortar and pestle used for crushing, while the other cut shows a typical engraving point. There are also comments and a plate on antique vessels and urns of elaborate classical designs. The catalogs list the gems, their materials, provenances, present location, and literary references. Roth, op. cit., p. viii ff., notes that the Latin translation of Heyne found little acceptance and caused Lippert to prepare the present German text, with Thierbach and Scheller taking the classical references and translating them. The work is now an abstract from all previous 3,000 impressions and is divided into mythological and historical subjects, the first part offering 1005 mythological impressions and the second, 1095 historical gems. The Supplement, described below, offered another 575 mythological and 474 historical pieces. An extended commentary was provided by C. A. Klotz in Acta litteraria, 4, pt. II, Altenberg, 1767, pp. 194–206. Copious remarks by Furtwängler, op. cit., 3, 415; Vinet 1623; Goodland, 372.