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Onyx, Nicolo

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ONYX.
221
black, engraved in a very bold manner with Apollo resting his lyre on a column, and standing before a tall, smoking, tripod. It realised the high price of 90/. at the sale in 18,39, and was bought by Mr. John Webb.
As an additional proof, derived from unbroken tradition (" traditione continua "), that the Nicolo was the Roman Onyx, we have the curious fact recorded by De Boot (writing on immemorial authority) : " That sort of the Onyx is the first in value and estimation which is of a bluish tinge, having a black layer underneath ; and is especially sought after by the Jews, for they have a con­stant tradition that this bluish Onyx was one of the number of the Twelve Stones, and therefore they reverence and value it highly (ii. 244).
It has likewise the honour of being the first amongst gems to be mentioned in the most ancient of all records (Gen. ii. 12). Together with fine gold and the spice Bdellium it was the production for which the land of Havi-lah was famed. The region intended by this name some suppose to have been the Northern provinces of Arabia, where Strabo places the Chavilatœi. Others translate Bdel­lium by " Pearl," in which case the passage contains the three most noted exports of Arabia.
But to return to the definitions of the early Greek travellers. Such a species of many- coloured quartz as they describe, partly opaque, partly transparent, full of lines, eyes, and spots, would now be called an Agate, rather than an Onyx. Indeed Isidorus (Origg. xvi. 11), by a singular anticipation of the modern nomenclature, describes the Achates as " black, having in the middle white and black circles joined together and veined." Such a descrip­tion exactly applies to that finest specimen of antique work in Agate anywhere preserved, the leopard's head of the Townley Collection, admirably sculptured in full relief,
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