In this course we will uncover the symbols of wealth and prestige in the Greek and Roman world embodied in engraved gemstones. Cameos and intaglios have been valued and collected since Antiquity and they have been studied since the Renaissance for what they can tell us about Ancient Greece and Rome.

We will reveal a world of hidden meanings attributed to the engraved images, and study the enormous importance ascribed to gems, which such rulers as Julius Caesar stated were their most precious possession. Plato even mentioned them in his writings as a marker of personal identity. Wearing the signet ring of a deceased emperor signalled his successor.  There was, however, always the possibility that a ruler’s seal ring might fall into the wrong hands, with serious consequences, from simple fraud to signifying its owner’s defeat in battle.

We will learn about such renowned cameos as the "Gemma Augustea" and "Gemma Tiberiana", identified as Imperial luxury artefacts.

We will discuss the differences between the depictions of the images on gems and their depictions in various media (painting, sculpture and mosaic). Sometimes gems have remained the only evidence of Imperial portraits as well as of Greek and Roman sculptures that have been long since lost. We will attempt to unravel the enigma of creating such miniature masterpieces by means of an ancient technology; and examine medieval artefacts inlaid with antique gems, such as prayer-book covers, crosses, and reliquaries. We will also discuss various items that ended up in the hands of kings and various collectors, such as the painter Peter Paul Rubens, who had a magnificent collection of gems, some of which he copied in his drawings and others of which even influenced his paintings.

During the course there will be a visit to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and possibly also a guest lecture by an internationally renowned expert from Oxford University, on Roman art and engraved gems.