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COLEM:2011.69.5109

Colchester Collections

Roman onyx intaglio excavated from Elm’s Farm, Heybridge. It depicts a Satyr, walking to the right, holding a bunch of grapes in his left hand and a pedum in his right. It is inscribed on the reverse with the graffito EYTY – the Greek name Eutyches. This, and another from Colchester, are the only two intaglios known from Britain with makers signatures. The inscribed names suggest that a gem-cutting workshop, employing Greek freemen, was perhaps operating in Colchester in the second century AD. Intaglios are engraved gems that were used as a form of personal signature, similar to the modern-day signet ring. In the Roman period, intaglios were mounted as the bezel on finger rings, and were carved from coloured precious stones such as chalcedony, carnelian, onyx and jasper. They were used across the Roman Empire to stamp the wax seals of e.g. letters and legal documents, so that the recipient would know the seal had not been broken and the contents interfered with. As well as practical devices they were also a sign of status and identity for their wearer. Intaglios were used by both men and women and those in Colchester Museums’ collection depict various Roman gods, goddesses and mythical figures. The designs were highly personal to the owner and often related to their personal life or profession.

0100 - 0200

Roman

<p><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>e<span>u<span>t<span>u</span></span></span></span></span> or <span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>e<span>u<span>t<span>g</span></span></span></span></span></p>

Eutyches

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