Sanscrit letters of the 9th century.

lace, inscribed "Ajita Varmma," "Varma the Victorious,” in This was the name of Another Sard found at

7

a king of Cashmere of that period. Hidda bears a regal head in the same style, but without a legend. The same tope also furnished two gold rings set with Carnelians, one a head in relief, apparently that of Buddha, the other an intaglio bust. A large Carnelian intaglio gives two seated figures in Hindoo dresses playing musical instruments, supposed by Wilson to be intended for Krishna and Radama. As far as a judgment can be formed from the plate, the execution of this group is extremely neat and careful, although rather stiff. Under the head of "Barbarian Camei" a notice will be found of some Indian works of the kind that have been brought under my own examination. Although the Greek colonists of Bactria formed a powerful and extensive state that flourished for more than three centuries, and which also possessed great wealth, as may be inferred from the large quantities of the currency of their princes still in existence, it is very singular that they should have left behind them so few engraved gems, considering the universal use of them in their parent country during the same space of time. We should have expected to meet with here a numerous class of gems engraved with figures of Indian deities, but assimilated to the Greek treatment of such subjects, exactly after the manner of the same figures upon the reverses of their coins. That the artistic skill to produce gems worthy of their mother-country was not wanting, amongst the Indo-Macedonians of at least the first century of the kingdom, plainly appears from the excellence of the execution of the portraits

7 More probably the Sign Gemini, so represented by the Hindoo astrologers.

on the coins issued during that period by the monarchs bearing purely Greek names.

MODERN ORIENTAL INTAGLI.

Before we quit the subject of Oriental intagli, the Mahometan, or Mediæval and Modern, deserve a slight notice, for two reasons:-as being the immediate successors of the class just described, and as articles the use of which kept alive the processes of the art of gem-engraving in the East during those centuries in which it had been entirely forgotten in Europe.

The earliest Cuphic stones are an extremely interesting class. The gems themselves are still of the ancient shape, being, no doubt, importations from India ready prepared for engraving as in Roman times. The legends upon them, in the elegant vertical Cuphic letter, are so arranged as to form certain figures, as a cross or a T. The letters are very fine, often apparently executed with the diamond-point, such is their precision and accuracy, and entirely dissimilar to the rude wheel-cut legends of the Sassanians. They consist of long legends in the Cuphic, or square Arabic character, in the earliest class, and in the flowing and elegant Persian on those of more recent execution. The Cuphic went out of

fashion in the 13th century, and thus the form of the letters gives us a clue to the age of the signets themselves. The mechanical execution of most of these legends is of the most perfect description; nothing can exceed the freedom and elegance of the curves and the depth and boldness of the engraving, frequently also occurring on the hardest gems, for I have seen admirable instances upon the Ruby and the Sapphire.

Pliny remarks, "Non signat adhuc Oriens, literis contenta solis;" "Eastern nations make no use of seals, being satisfied with the mere subscription of the name." This fact struck him with peculiar force, seeing the universal use of seals in his time throughout the whole civilized world as the sole mode of authenticating a document. But the Oriental practice still continues unchanged, for the stone or metal signet inscribed with the owner's name and titles, is not impressed upon wax, but inked over, and thus applied to the paper after the manner of a copper-plate. By the term "Oriens" in this passage India alone is signified, for the use of seals intended to leave their prints on a soft substance, clay or wax, originated with the early civilization of the Assyrian Empire.

A These legends, beautiful as they are to the eye of the unlearned, are the very plague of all Oriental scholars, who are often pestered by their acquaintances to decipher for them some "engraving of a signet" which, when the words are extricated from the calligraphic flourishes in which they are entwined, contain some such profound idea as this: "What is destined will surely come to pass;" or a religious axiom, as, "Ali is the purest of Men;" or perhaps the name and titles of some Captain Smith, a revenue-collector in some Indian province. Gems also are to be seen with legends in the Rabbinical Hebrew character, some of considerable

antiquity; they usually contain nothing but the name and father's name of the owner.

A most curious if not unique example of this very rare class is a Jacinth, en cabochon, now in the hands of Mr. Eastwood, the device on which appears intended for a vine-leaf, and a modius with three wheat-ears, surrounded by the legend in distinct Hebrew letters, "Helulu Bar Coasah," "Helel, son of Coasah." This stone was found deposited with other engraved gems of Sassanian date, and the style of the work upon it is certainly of that period-the 5th or 6th century-and therefore furnishes one of the very earliest instances known of the use of the modern Hebrew character. Another, but much more recent stone, an octagonal Carnelian, set in a very singularly-formed Oriental silver ring,

bore in Rabbinical characters the legend "Issachar Ha Cohen," "Issachar the Priest." Huge gold rings, adorned with filigree work and surmounted by a small temple, with Hebrew inscriptions on the interior of the shank, sometimes are seen in collections, and puzzle the beholders as to their use, being much too large for the finger. They were made for the use of the Synagogue, where they serve in the celebration of the marriage ceremony, being placed on the finger of the couple at a certain portion of the rites. As may be supposed, they are often most exquisite specimens of the skill of the jeweller.

Although it is impossible to lay down any exact rules for distinguishing the works of the Greek and Roman period from each other without any exception, yet there are certain general principles which will be found to obtain universally, and which, with a little practical experience, will enable us to separate the productions of either school.

By the term Greek intagli we mean those engraved before the time of the Roman Empire, even though the best of those of a later date were the work of Greek artists, as we still see by their names added to the finest existing engravings; yet the imperial epoch has a peculiar style of its own, the nature of which we shall hereafter endeavour to define.

The earliest Greek intagli are undoubtedly those of very low relief but of the most minute finish, and principally executed with the diamond-point, whilst the design is usually enclosed within the so-called Etruscan border. On account of this border, these intagli were formerly all assigned to the Etruscan school, an opinion at present quite abandoned. The subjects which they present are single figures of deities or heroes, animals (which are of very frequent occurrence), and groups illustrative of events taken from Homer and the Tragedians, amongst which, for some unknown reason, the