The Museum at Central Park is enriched by the collection
of the " Curium Gems " brought from the Island of Cyprus by
General Di Cesnola, and the King collection, comprising a
series of engraved gems presented to this institution by its
president, Mr. John Taylor Johnston.
The Cypriote Antiquities comprise a variety of objects interesting to the antiquary and the art student, including ear,
finger, and seal rings bearing engraved stones, necklaces,
bracelets, and armlets of curious workmanship, besides various
other articles of ornamental use. One necklace is made of
gold and rock-crystal, another of fine granulated work combined
with gems. Two solid gold armlets weighing more than two
pounds, were votive offerings presented by Eteandros, King of
Paphos, whose reign dates from 672 B.C., with his name inscribed in Cypriote characters. The principal stones used for
these engravings were carnelian, sard, rock-crystal, garnet, and
onyx, and the subjects selected by the artists were generally
those pertaining to Egyptian mythology.
The collection of Babylonian, Assyrian, and Phoenician cylinders engraved with various devices which have been reproduced
on a flat surface afford an oppportunity for studying these
ancient seals. Most of them are about one inch in length and
represent in intaglio the beliefs, traditions, and customs of
antiquity ; the signet, or cylinder, of Nebuchadnezzar, King of
Babylon, is among the number. Here are seen Egyptian
scarabei with modern settings by Castellani, engravings supposed to date from the Twelfth Dynasty, between 2000 and 3000
B.C., intagli bearing representations of the Egyptian deities
Ptah and Bast, and a relic taken from a mummy representing
the cartouche of Amenophis I., who is supposed to have
flourished 2500 B.C.
The valuable collection of antique engraved gems made by
