A late roman red jasper intaglio. Martyrum scene with chi-rho.

3rd-4th century A.D.

15 x 19 x 4 mm

A pagan Roman soldier is in the act of decapitating a female character identifiable with a christian believer. The figure is kneeling on the ground to the left, with her hands folded in a sign of prayer, and she is wearing a long tunic and her hair is gathered. Behind him, a mighty helmeted, bearded and armored soldier. This rests his right hand on the martyr's head, on which the Christogram appears above; with his left hand he raises a sword (gladio) to decapitate. A palm frond in the background, to symbolize the martyrdom and triumph of the resurrection over death. Groundline. Highly symbolic scene, referring to the martyrs of the Christian religion at the time of the Roman Empire. Intaglio executed with skill. Attractive vivid red color of the stone. Wear marks. Slight chipping on the edge. Slight surface cracking of the stone (the stone is whole and does not show any breakages). Rare.

Parallels: Metropolitan Museum of Art Database inv. 81.6.311; King, Charles William. The Johnston Collection of Engraved Gems in the Grand Hall. Hand-book, Vol. no. 9. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1881. no. 62, p. 5, 4001/03/2020 Corneille, Pierre, and Paul Allard. "Les procès des Martyrs." In Polyeucte, martyr: Tragedie Chrétienne en Cinq Actes. Tours: Mame, 1889. p. 158. Cabrol, Fernand, Henri Leclercq, and Henri Irénée Marrou. Dictionnaire d'Archéologie Chrétienne et de Liturgie. Vol. 1-15. Paris, 1907-1953. p. 430, fig. 78.

U.K., private collection 70's, London.