Friends of Greek Art Lecture:Alibi ars,alibi materia: An Introduction to Greek & Roman Engraved Gem

Often overlooked in modern histories of ancient art, engraved gemstones constitute a large corpus of pristine—and exquisite—artifacts closely tied to the personal identity of their owners. Getty Villa curator of antiquities, Kenneth Lapatin, discusses these gems, highly valued for their exotic origins, color, and brilliance and believed to have magical properties. Cut by master engravers, they adorned the fingers, wrists, and even shoes of emperors, kings, and aristocrats, but they were also employed by more modest citizens in their daily lives.