History
Glyptics, from the ancient Greek γλυπτός / glyptós, "engraved object", is an art that consists of engraving and sculpting hard, precious or fine stones in relief (cameo) or intaglio (intaglio). The working material can also be organic (shell, ivory, coral, mother-of-pearl, amber) or vegetal (precious wood).
This technique is characterized by shaping of the material by abrasion. Wear is then obtained by mechanical friction (like the sea and sand on rocks), and not by percussion (mechanical shocks).
If gems have been carved or engraved since prehistoric times, glyptic will experience its real boom during Antiquity. In Egypt, first of all, where glyptic developed with the crafting of amulets supposed to protect their owner. Then in Greece, where it had a utilitarian function - the seal was used to affix a signature and indicate the social position of its owner.
From then on, high-ranking figures (Hellenistic princes, philosophers...) will order intaglios - cameos made of precious and noble materials such as sardonyx, amethyst, sapphire, garnet, rock crystal or carnelian. Some emperors even went so far as to have their own engraver, capable of producing works of rare precision.
With the fall of the Roman Empire, the taste of engraved stones will gradually fade, marking the end of the golden age of glyptics. It was not until the Crusaders plundered Constantinople in 1204 that these ancient objects were reused to enrich the treasures of the churches, but also to decorate the jewellery and goldsmith's art of the kings.
The Renaissance was marked by renewed interest from patrons such as Laurent de Medici, which gave glyptics a second youth.
However, it was the Neo-Classical movement, following on from the ancient tradition of stone engraving, that marked the last hours of glory of glyptics from the 18th to the beginning of the 20th centuries.