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

Vollenweider’s three-volume catalogue presents a detailed study of the engraved gems, cylinder seals, and intaglios in the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Geneva, supplemented in the third volume by the collection of the Rev. Dr. V.E.G. Kenna and other recent acquisitions and gifts. The entries combine descriptions of the objects with discussion of their materials, engraving techniques, iconography, style, chronology, and cultural attribution, accompanied by extensive photographic documentation. The first volume treats the museum’s principal collection of seals and engraved gems; the second concentrates on portraits, theatrical masks, and political symbols, using glyptic evidence as a contribution to the history and iconography of the Hellenistic and Roman worlds; and the third expands the corpus through the Kenna collection and subsequent additions. Of particular gemological interest is the documentation of the stones and other materials selected by ancient engravers, while the series as a whole provides an important reference for the identification, dating, and interpretation of ancient glyptic art.