gems, glyptic, engraved gems, agate, cameo, intaglio

This descriptive catalog documents 11,372 engraved gems and 3 engraved vases from the Royal German collections in Berlin, now housed in the Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Antikenabteilung. A recent overview of the same collection can be found in Zwierlein-Diehl's Antike Gemmen in deutschen Sammlungen (1929, vol. 2). The catalog opens with a foreword and a detailed history of the collection, tracing its development from the 17th century onward and referencing earlier catalogs and subsequent acquisitions. While no formal bibliography is included, references appear within individual gem descriptions. Entries are organized chronologically, starting with Mycenaean pieces and progressing through the Archaic period to works from the time of Alexander the Great and later, including modern gems. The accompanying plates illustrate 5,515 specimens, all shown at actual size, with intaglios reproduced from impressions. This publication firmly established Adolf Furtwängler's authority in the study of engraved gems.