A roman carnelian intaglio. The she-wolf with the twins.

1st-2nd century A.D.

8 x 10 x 5 mm

The allegorical scene is referred to the founding myths of the ancient Rome, one of the most emblematic. The twins Romolus and Remus are feeding on the animal’s breasts; she is facing left but with her head turned to the right to protect the two infants. Groundline. According to tradition, Rome was founded in 753 B.C. by the twins Romulus and Remus. Sons of Mars and a mortal woman named Rhea Silvia, the twins were abandoned by their uncle in the Tibur river. A she-wolf discovered them on the banks of the river and feeded them until they were taken in by a passing sheperd, Faustulus. The representation of the wolf feeding the twins became a popular subject in Roman Republican and Imperial art. Slight wear marks. Chipping on the edge. Attractive color of the stone.

Parallels: The Metropolitan Museum of New York Database, inv. 41.160.693.

U.K. private collection

Estimate: GBP 500 - 1000