Satirical classicism of an 18th-century gold ring: The Triumph of Priapus

An elegant ring from the 18th century adorned with an image that, once understood, provokes laughter. This image is known as "The Triumph of Priapus," and we have even found 18th-century drawings depicting this scene, preserved at the British Museum (see photos). To our knowledge, only a few rings with this design exist. We were fortunate to discover a very interesting thesis by Raimon Graells i Fabregat (2011), which explores the history of this ring in depth (more information about this later in the article).

According to several experts in the field of antique intaglios, only three or four of these rings are known!

Priapus - In Greek mythology, Priapus was a minor god of fertility, protector of livestock, fruit plants, gardens, and male genitalia. He is characterized by his permanent and oversized erection, hence the medical term "priapism." He became a popular figure in Roman erotic art and Latin literature, and is the subject of a collection of often humorous and obscene verses, the Priapeia. (Source: Wikipedia)

Group of ancient jewelry objects: signet ring

Condition: good condition
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Country of origin: Although it bears no readable hallmark, we believe it is of French origin.

Style: Classicism, the adherence to the principles and style of ancient Greek or Roman art and literature, generally associated with harmony, restraint, and respect for recognized standards of form and craftsmanship, particularly from the Renaissance to the 18th century. or more information on styles

Stylistic specificities: Classicism – Italian Renaissance painting and sculpture are characterized by the renewal of classical forms, motifs, and subjects. In the 15th century, Leon Battista Alberti played an important role in theorizing many pictorial ideas that culminated in Raphael's School of Athens during the High Renaissance. These themes continued largely uninterrupted until the 17th century, when artists such as Nicolas Poussin and Charles Le Brun represented a more rigid classicism. Like the Italian classicist ideas of the 15th and 16th centuries, this classicism spread throughout Europe from the mid to late 17th century. Later classicism in painting and sculpture, from the mid-18th to the 19th century, is generally called neoclassicism. (Source: Wikipedia)

Period: circa 1750
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Source of inspiration: Mythology

Theme: The triumph of Priapus carried on a chariot

Material: Highly alloyed yellow gold (over 18 carats - tested on the touchstone)
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Technique: Intaglio - An intaglio, or engraved gem, is a small precious stone, generally semi-precious, carved, in the Western tradition, usually with images or inscriptions on a single side. The engraving of precious stones was a major form of luxury art in Antiquity, and played an important role in certain later eras. Strictly speaking, engraving refers to intaglio carving, the design being incised into the flat surface of the stone. However, relief carvings, where the design stands out from the background as in almost all cameos, are also covered by this term. This activity is also called "gemstone carving," and the artists "gem cutters." References to ancient gems and intaglios in the context of jewelry almost always refer to carved stones. (Source: Wikipedia)

Additional information:
The following is taken from "Symbolae Antiqvariae" by Raimon Graells i Fabregat, published in 2011 by Fabrizio Serra Editore, Pisa and Rome.

The first known publication about this stone (or its sister) dates from 1784, and is the work of the publicist d'Hancarville, who describes this "procession of Priapus" as an ancient stone. However, many doubts remain as to its originality. There is also a carnelian in the collection of the goldsmith Bassols in Catalonia, on the same theme, made at the end of the 19th century.

It is suspected that this festive procession of bacchantes and satyrs, accompanied by a cow and roosters, symbols of masculine power, and accompanied by the phallus of Priapus on a festival chariot toward a decorated door, the vagina, is a product of the 18th century, now an antique forgery. D'Hancarville gave this procession the title "The Triumph of Priapus Carried on a Chariot."

The Getty Research Institute devoted an exhibition catalog to it in 2008. See: The Antic and the Antiques in XVIIIth Century England (Redford, 2008). No relevant image is found there, but there is a set of references to d'Hancarville.

The "Monuments of the Private Life of the XII Caesars" were first published at Capri by Sabellus in 1780 (but actually in Nancy), a second edition entitled "Monuments of the Secret Cult of the XII Caesars" appeared in 1784, also in Nancy. Then a third edition was published at the Vatican in 1786. The Vatican then issued several editions. Always with fewer images than in the original, but with a more artistic finish. The choice of a false place of publication was intended to quickly make the author and his work known as anti-clerical, thus accelerating sales.

In La France littéraire ou dictionnaire biographique des savants, it is said of d'Hancarville: "He wanted to pass off these phantoms of a lascivious imagination as ancient monuments." But that remains his fantasy.

Precious stones: An agate

Hallmarks: No trace.
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Dimensions: ring height 3.17 cm (1.25 inch) x 2.53 cm (1.00 inch)

Weight: 22.70 grams (14.60 dwt)

Continental Ring Size: 56 and 17¾, US Size 7½, UK Size: O½

Resizing: Resizing is possible, but due to the age of the ring, we prefer to leave it intact. We cannot guarantee resizing for all sizes; fees may apply, so please contact us in advance. The return policy for this ring is no longer valid once this operation has been performed.
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