Quantcast
  We apologize for any slow response. This will be fixed before October 31st Portal logo
Login/Register
Bactrian Gold Treasure from Afghanistan, coming soon....
/gemstones/king-natural-history/page_368 - 2
 

Vitrum Annulare, Pastes

Vitrum Annulare, Pastes Page of 453 Vitrum Annulare, Pastes Text size:minus plus Restore normal size   Mail page  Print this page
360
VITRUM ANNULARE.
the ground of their vineyards and gardens on the ancient site of the city, pastes hardly ever occur without some portion of the original bronze ring adhering to them : the loose gems being invariably stones which from their base quality and careless execution had evidently belonged to the poorest class. Besides, as these valueless imitations were never worn by people who could afford rings of gold or even of silver, there is no room for the saving clause that they might have been drawn from their settings and thrown away, as was evidently the case with real gems when in barbarous times the jewels they adorned were melted down for the sake of the metal. Again, whoever has seen a paste in its original setting must be aware of the impossi­bility of extracting it without breakage. Had paste intagli been as common in Roman times as they are in dealers' cabinets, they would have formed the majority of the gems turned up in the soil covering ancient towns, whereas the direct con­trary is the case. All pastes, therefore, that appear never to have had an ancient setting, ought to be regarded with the utmost suspicion.
The abundance of pastes, all passing for antiques, on the accu­mulation of which so many amateurs pride themselves, is per­fectly amazing, and reads an amusing commentary upon Ovid's dictum—
" In quod volunms credula turba sunius."
Many dilettanti (like old Herz, for example, in his multifarious collection) exhibit them by hundreds at one and the same time, and must therefore cherish the belief, to support their authenticity, that the old vitrarii spent their lives in producing these imi­tations merely for the purpose of sowing them broadcast in the earth to turn up again for the delectation of future ages. The rate at which they are sold depends entirely now upon the credit of the cabinet to which they may belong : sometimes I have known them go for two or three shillings per dozen, and good examples in their way. It was therefore a divert­ing proof of the influence of a name in this department, as in all things else, to behold, at the sale of the collection above alluded to, the credulous cognoscenti (ill-named) bidding high, often at the rate of pounds, for utterly worthless pastes pur-
Vitrum Annulare, Pastes Page of 453 Vitrum Annulare, Pastes
Suggested Illustrations
Other Chapters you may find useful
Other Books on this topic
bullet Tag
This Page