Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/675

GEM 663 tries, particularly Hindostan, Pegu, and Ceylon, have been famous from the remotest periods for their rich gems ; and in modern times Bra- zil, Peru, and south Africa have rivalled them in these productions. GEM ENGRAVING, known also as the glyptic art (Gr. yMm-ttv, to engrave), was skilfully practised in very remote times. In Exodus xxviii. 17-20, the following stones are designated as those upon which were en- graved the names of the 12 children of Israel: sardius, topaz, carbuncle, emerald, sapphire, diamond, ligure, agate, amethyst, beryl, onyx, and jasper. At this early period, as we learn from verse 11 of the same chapter, engraving of signets, and upon the hardest stones, was practised. The Israelites, it is believed, ac- quired the art from the Egyptians, who are known to have made use of the lapidary's wheel and emery powder, and are supposed to have been acquainted with the diamond and the method of engraving other hard stones by means of it. The Assyrians and Babylonians were very skilful in engraving on gems, many of which have been found in the ruins of their cities. Many of their seals are most deli- cately and minutely ornamented with various sacred devices and with the forms of animals. The Greeks adopted the art, and practised it with the greatest zeal and success. Their works of the time of Alexander the Great are still the most perfect specimens. The most distinguished among their earlier artists was Pyrgoteles, who alone was permitted to en- grave the head of Alexander, as Apelles only was allowed to paint his portrait, and Lysippus to cast his image in bronze. During the reign of Augustus in Rome, Dioscurides from ^Eolia in Asia Minor attained the highest eminence. His head of lo is regarded by some as the finest engraved gem in existence, and others almost equally beautiful are two busts of Augustus, a head of Demosthenes on an amethyst, and vari- ous mythological representations. Several of the most skilful artists of Greece established themselves at Rome under the emperors. With the empire the art declined, and though the mechanical execution was not lost, no produc- tions of genius appeared till the 15th century. At this time it became fashionable to make collections of antique gems, and among others Lorenzo de' Medici was especially interested in this object and in encouraging artists to imitate the finest productions, in which they attained great success. The same taste soon spread to France, Germany, and England ; and in all civilized countries the art has since been held in high estimation. As applied to the hardest gems, as the diamond, ruby, sapphire, and topaz, it is no doubt carried to a higher degree of perfection than was attained in an- cieiit times, for .among the antique engraved gems preserved there are few if any of this class. Engraved gems are for the most part readily referred by connoisseurs to their true period, country, and sometimes to the artist himself. Each had his own cipher, which is commonly found upon the gem, though this is in modern 'times imitated, together with the peculiar style of the ancient artists and their complete work, in great perfection. Specimens of Egyptian art are recognized by the repre- sentations of the peculiar favorite animals and divinities of this people, accompanied with their hieroglyphics. Their gems were engraved al- most exclusively in intaglio, and they were of the form designated as scarabai, from the upper surface of the stone, always of the oval form, being cut to represent the beetle. The Etrus- cans also adopted this form, but their devices more resemble those of the earliest Greek workmanship. Their specimens are distinguish- ed by low relief, a granular border surrounding the engraving, stiffness in the figures, peculiar style of letters and writing, wings given to the deities which the Greeks represent without wings, and names generally attached to the figures. The Greeks also practised chiefly in intaglio, and some of their finest works are in chalcedony and carnelian. The highly famed Dionysiac bull of Hyllus, an artist sup- posed to have lived before the age of Augustus, is upon chalcedony ; and a celebrated specimen in carnelian is the beautiful seal which once belonged to Michel Angelo, and was afterward preserved in the national library at Paris. The engraving represents a vintage, but the design has been referred in various learned disserta- tions to a number of different objects, some of mythological character. Many impressions and copies have been taken of this famous specimen. The engraved gems of the first 15 centuries A. D., excepting the imitations of antique works, generally have designs from Scriptural subjects images of Christ and of the Virgin Mary, representations of the Good Shepherd, and often a fish, symbolical of the Saviour, from the let- ters in its Greek name, l^i-?, being the initial letters in the appellation I^croic Xptarbc Qeov "Ytbc Sw-^p. Some terms employed to desig- nate certain styles of antique gems may be prop- erly noticed here before speaking of the art in modern times. Stones convex on one side are said to be en ccibocJion ; chimcerce are those with representations of imaginary beings made up of portions taken from different animals ; grylli are those with hideous heads, said to be so called from an Athenian named Gryllus, who was extraordinarily ugly ; conjugata, or joined, are those with heads represented together upon the same profile, called opposite when they face each other. Engraving was practised both in intaglio and in rilievo, and the two styles^were sometimes combined in the same specimen. Stones having differently colored layers, like the onyx, were especially adapted for the rilievo style, for an account of which see CAMEO. In modern times the finest gem engravers are found among the Italian artists of the 18th century, and chiefly those of Florence. Some of their works are hardly inferior to those of the most famous Grecian artists. Flaviano Sirletti of Florence, who died in 1737, was especially distinguished