A FINE ROMAN THREE-LAYERED AGATE INTAGLIO. AMPHORA.

A FINE ROMAN THREE-LAYERED AGATE INTAGLIO. AMPHORA.1st century B.C. - 1 st century A.D.16 x 20 x 5 mm.In the center, an amphora with a rounded body, with an elongated tip at the bottom and rounded handles. The body is perfectly spherical and mirror polished. Beautiful variety of three-layered agate, characterized by an elegant gradient between the upper honey brown layer and the intermediate white one; the last one is dark brown. The back of this large gem, with a truncated cone profile, is deeply concave in the center, probably to lighten its weight and increase its brightness in transparency. In fact, the thickness between the excavation of the belly of the amphora and the back seems minimal. The model and the execution style seem to be of Greek hand. Light wear marks.Provenance: U.K. private collection acquired in the british art market.