Captain Cupid : Antique Carnelian Intaglio Wax Seal Ring of Cupid At Sea Guided By A Star

Our dear little mischief maker Cupid is up to shenanigans once again. In this early 19th Century, Georgian Era intaglio wax seal we see our winged naked baby god of love, sailing the seas in a masted ship, following a bright star. The motif of this charming seal is “it guides me well” or “if I loose you I am lost”. The star guiding our wee Cupid can only be the North Star, used by sailors to navigate through dark waters.

Intaglio carvings like this one were used in the 18th and 19th Centuries to seal letters. They were indispensable parts of every letter writing person’s toolkit, and in the days before telephones if you wanted to get a message to someone your only option was in letter form.

The seal itself is an absolute treasure, but this ring gets even more interesting when we look at the mount! It’s a very simple and elegant 1920’s 9ct gold affair, with a plain bezel and split shoulders, with customary understated engraving where the shoulders meet the half round shank. Hiding on this inside of the band is the makers mark H.G.R., used by Harold G. Rogers of Adelaide. Mister Rogers set up shop in 1911 and was a bigwig in the South Australian Retail Jewellers Association, serving as their president in 1923.

I did think it odd that the commissioner of this piece had chosen to have the seal set sideways, however after a short time wearing it I realised that having it set as such made it much easier to appreciate the motif while it was on the hand. It’s so sweet to look down and see Cupid sailing on by! Quite clever, really.

A (likely British) Georgian seal in an early Australian setting is a new combination for me! 100 years ago some incredibly fashion forward person had what was already an antique wax seal set into a new custom made mount, making this an antique Georgian/Art Deco, early Australian intaglio wax seal ring! One of a kind, indeed.

Manufacture:
Handmade in 9ct rosey old gold. The stone is set into a low-profile rectangular rub over bezel. Split shoulders lead to a classic half round shank, with double engraved line detail where the shoulders meet the shank. Hallmarked to the inside of the band 9ct with makers mark HGR for H.G.Rogers of Adelaide, 1911 – 1960+

The intaglio is carved into a rectangular plaque of carnelian agate. The carving is crisp and the stone has no chips or scratches, it makes a very fine wax impression.

The face of the ring measures 11.66mm x 13.78mm.
Sits 2.54mm high on the finger.
Weighs 3.06 grams.

Size: 
M1/2 or 6.5
somewhat resizable
We do offer a resizing service starting at $45 Australian dollars. Please get in touch for a quote.

Condition:
Excellent. The intaglio and ring are both in pristine condition. Ready for immediate, everyday wear.