gems, glyptic, antique gems, engraved gems, rings

This illustrated volume presents large gemstone cameos created by Dieter and Andreas Roth between 2003 and 2008 as a tribute to William Shakespeare. Scenes and characters from his plays, including the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, are translated into carved relief through the contrasting layers of gemstone material. Accompanying texts in German, English, and Japanese connect the works with their literary subjects. The book documents a contemporary application of cameo carving to dramatic narrative and provides a record of the Roths’ contribution to the engraving tradition of Idar-Oberstein.