gems, antique gems, glyptic, antique jewelry, rings, engraved gems

This two-volume catalogue describes, illustrates, and analyzes each of the 1,200+ objects in the remarkable collection donated to the British Museum in 1978 by Professor and Mrs. Hull Grundy, extending the Museum’s coverage of jewelry into the 1950s. Volume I offers a detailed account of the collection’s diverse aspects, such as the skilful setting of gems and pastes or the art of enamel miniature painting. The breadth of the Gift allows the authors to explore the many ingenious techniques used by jewellers since antiquity and to present a richly illustrated survey of Western European jewelry, especially following the rise of neo-classical taste in the late eighteenth century. Line drawings and enlarged photos of marks and signatures—many newly identified—are arranged for easy reference at the end, alongside a glossary and extensive bibliography. Volume II illustrates every item, often in color and frequently with additional views, details, and black-and-white enlargements. Photographs of prototypes, comparable items in other collections, related designs and engravings, and period portraits showing the use of similar objects are integrated with the Gift’s illustrations.