gems, antique gems, early lapidary, glyptic

Schlüter catalogues the ancient engraved gems in the Kestner-Museum, Hanover, and the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, as part of the series Antike Gemmen in deutschen Sammlungen. The two-part volume documents Greek, Etruscan, Roman, and later glyptic material, including intaglios, cameos, and glass pastes. Catalogue entries describe the material, dimensions, form, engraving, iconography, style, and dating of individual pieces, supported by extensive photographic plates. Subjects include gods and heroes, mythological scenes, portraits, animals, symbolic devices, and other motifs of ancient glyptic art. The work is particularly valuable for its systematic documentation of gemstone materials and engraving styles and for comparative study of the chronology, iconography, and craftsmanship of ancient gems in German museum collections.