gems, glyptic, engraved gems, agate, cameo, intaglio, shell, ancient gems, Rome, Greece, ancient jewelry, rings

Sinkankas: King asserts that nothing on the subject of the Gnostics has been previously attempted in the English language except for B. Walsh’s An Essay on Ancient Coins, Medals, and Gems, which see, and which he then proceeds to demolish with his usual sharp criticism of any work that touches upon a field in which he considers himself an expert, if not the sole authority. His present work is a historical account of the cult, its offshoots, and its relations to other forms of religion in Western and Eastern civilizations, but made remarkable by his extensive use of engraved gems which bear symbols of Gnosticism and serve to support the conclusions that he reaches in the text. Gnosticism is therefore examined from Asia into the Mediterranean and Europe, all of it forming an interesting, exotically flavored treatise. More than a few words are devoted to the illustrations of gems by King in his preface, many being crude sketches prepared by King himself but excused as being faithful to the original gems, and indeed, in many instances, “flattered” them.