**Originally Listed At $300**

Western Europe, Italy, Neoclassical period, ca. late 18th to 19th century CE. A lovely pair of stamped glass intaglios: one of an erote and another of Mercury - Greek Hermes - after Italian artist Luigi Pichler (1773-1854). Pichler's signature is inscribed in reverse Greek script below the bust. Popular throughout the 19th century and still collectible today, stamped glass intaglios, like these, are known as Tassies or Tassie gems after their Scottish creator, James Tassie, and his nephew, William Tassie, who developed a method to mold engraved intaglios into glass gems. Both can be easily set into a ring, necklace, or bracelet for an elegant piece of wearable history! Size of largest (Mercury): 0.9" W x 1.2" H (2.3 cm x 3 cm)

According to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, "The Pichlers were a family of renowned 18th and 19th century gem-cutters originally from Austria. The patriarch Antonio (Johann Anton) was a merchant who decided to devote himself to art after traveling to Italy, where he relocated to learn gem-engraving. His sons Giovanni, Giuseppe, and Luigi and grandson Giacomo continued his legacy by taking up the craft. Giovanni, the eldest, taught his two younger half-brothers after Antonio's death. Luigi is generally regarded as the most distinguished artist of the family and received numerous honors from the popes and sovereigns of his day. Giovanni and Luigi were also painters."

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#175567

Chip to lower area of erote intaglio and both have some surface wear but are otherwise intact and nice preservation of incised detail. Mercury is signed "L. Pichler" below bust.