A very fine Ancient Roman intaglio formed from a beautiful agate depicting a male bust flanked by a bow and and quiver. The intaglio is circular in shape, featuring a smooth reverse with bevelled edges. The man is depicted facing left and is detailed in clean incisions, with linear strokes denoting draped clothing, facial features and hair. The figure could be a representation of a nobleman or a deity, likely Apollo. Scratches visible to the surface consistent with age. The term intaglio refers to a small image that has been engraved into a gemstone and usually set in a piece of jewellery, most commonly a ring. Such artistic form has its origin in Sumer in the 4th millennium BC, with the appearance of cylinder and stamp seals, whereby decorations and patterns were engraved into soft stones. During the Hellenistic period and the early Roman Empire, the art of intaglio reached its apogee, with there being a steady decline in craftsmanship in the late Imperial Rome, until a revival of interest with the Byzantine and during the Renaissance. Measurements: 1.9cm x 1.8cm Provenance: Ex major SM., London, Collection 1970-2010.