gems, glyptic, engraved gems, agate, cameo, intaglio, Greece, Central Asia, Black Sea, Roman, Egypt, history of jewelry, history

One of the world’s finest assemblages of rings and gemstones, the Guy Ladrière Collection in Paris is of major importance both to the collector and the art historian. This handsome volume, written and compiled by three of the foremost experts on gems and semi-precious stones, is the first to catalogue, illustrate and describe all the pieces in the Collection. Comprising some three hundred items, and including a rich and varied mixture of cameos and intaglios, the Collection ranges from ancient artifacts originating in the Minoan period to gemstones and rings of the nineteenth century. It also boasts many medieval pieces, Christian crystal plaques and Lombardic stones with inscriptions. Of special interest are the prize pieces in the Collection. These include the famous rhinoceros, most probably depicting an identifiable animal (the celebrated ‘Madrid’ rhinoceros, also known as the ‘Marvel of Lisbon’ and taken from Portugal to Spain in 1583); Queen Elizabeth I crowned with the mythological lionskin of Hercules, and presented as the power to tame the forces of evil; and some remarkable and varied pairs of heads. Diana Scarisbrick, a noted authority on engraved gems, and a former Jewelry Editor at Harpers & Queen Magazine, is now a Research Associate at the Beazley Archive in the University of Oxford. Her many publications include “Finger Rings: Ancient and Modern” (2006) and “Rings: Miniature Monuments to Love, Power and Devotion” (2014). Claudia Wagner is a Senior Researcher at the Beazley Archive, where she directs the gems databases and research program, and Senior Research Lecturer at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She is co-author (with John Boardman) of The Marlborough Gems (2009). Sir John Boardman, FBA, is Emeritus Lincoln Professor of Classical Archaeology and Art in the University of Oxford. His many books include “The History of Greek Vases” (2006) “The Oxford History of Classical Art” (1997), “The Oxford History of the Classical World” (1986) and “The World of Ancient Art” (2006).