Unbetitelt

[fravery]

Tuscan House by a Lake. Ines B

[saintmarc]

[wgm-beautiful-world]

G H E N T

[wgm-beautiful-world]

Villa del Balbianello - LAGO DI COMO

[rosieandthemoon]

Lady Macbeth, 1955

[blueiscoool]

Caligulas Ring

A 2,000-year-old sapphire ring, often attributed to Roman Emperor Caligula, features a delicate portrait engraved into the stone, widely believed to be his fourth and final wife, Caesonia. Crafting a ring from a single piece of sapphire was an immense technical feat in antiquity.

The Ring:

The Material: It is a hololith, meaning the entire ring (both the stone and the band) was carved out of a single piece of sky-blue sapphire.

The Engraving: The bezel features the profile of a woman, which historians and gem collectors associate with Caligula's empress, Milonia Caesonia.

Current Status: The ring is part of the legendary Marlborough Gems collection. It previously surfaced at an auction through the royal jewelers Wartski.

Provenience & Skepticism: While popular tradition links the ring to Caligula's extravagant reign (37–41 AD), many historians note that it is extremely difficult to verify ancient provenance. The earliest documented history of the ring traces back only to the 17th-century collection of Thomas Howard, the Earl of Arundel. Some art historians debate its ancient origins, suggesting it may have been crafted during the Renaissance.

[blueiscoool]

The Ara Pacis Augustae

The Ara Pacis Augustae (Latin, "Altar of Augustan Peace"; commonly shortened to Ara Pacis) is an altar in Rome dedicated to the Pax Romana. The monument was commissioned by the Roman Senate on July 4, 13 BC to honour the return of Augustus to Rome after three years in Hispania and Gaul and consecrated on January 30, 9 BC. Originally located on the northern outskirts of Rome, a Roman mile from the boundary of the pomerium on the west side of the Via Flaminia, the Ara Pacis stood in the northeastern corner of the Campus Martius, the former flood plain of the Tiber River and gradually became buried under 4 metres (13 ft) of silt deposits. It was reassembled in its current location, now the Museum of the Ara Pacis, in 1938, turned 90° counterclockwise from its original orientation so that the original western side now faces south.

Photos by Steven Zucker.

[andallshallbewell]

[andallshallbewell]

[boulevard-of-fame]

Catherine Deneuve

[quattrocanti]

Perseo con la testa di Medusa - Benvenuto Cellini Scultore Orafo Scrittore, italiano - Nascita 3 Novembre 1500 Firenze - Morte 13 Febbraio 1571 Firenze

[apologize-to-no-one]

[ducissatenebrarum]

The “Ceylan” vase by René Lalique features four sweet parakeet pairs upon an art nouveau vine pattern. This example, in frosted glass, features a stunning opalescent color scheme, but examples have been reproduced in gold, turquoise, and more.

René Lalique, “Ceylan” vase, Glass, 1924, @bonhams1793

Since 1922, The Magazine ANTIQUES has explored the world of collecting, with inspiring profiles, groundbreaking research, unexpected genres, and consequential commentary

[chasingrainbowsforever]

1920 Rene Lalique Perfume Bottle

[andallshallbewell]

[detournementsmineurs]

"Hawthorn Blossom" brooch by René Lalique in glass, enamel, diamonds and gold.

[allthingseurope]

Lyme Park, England