240 - INTALY WITH THE PROFILE OF LOUIS XIV set in a gold ring

INTALY WITH THE PROFILE OF LOUIS XIV set in a gold ring Gross weight: 4 g 17th-century intaglio; gold setting possibly from a later period Damage Provenance: Maximin Deloche Collection, Rings, Rings in France Throughout History; II. Drawings, Paintings, Lot 27, reproduced (Intaglio set in gold, depicting a bust of Louis XIV. Late 17th century.) Bibliography: Maximin Deloche, *The Ring in France Through History*, Paris, Firmin-Didot, 1929, no. 86, Pl. V, reproduced A rare depiction of Louis XIV in profile on an oval-shaped intaglio; the king is shown in a bust, facing left, in a composition derived from the tradition of ancient imperial effigies. While portraits of Louis XIV are particularly numerous in painting, sculpture, and medals, their appearance in the art of glyptics remains much rarer. After experiencing significant growth during the Renaissance, engraving on semi-precious stones gradually declined in the 17th century. The significance of this intaglio lies in Louis XIV’s personal taste for glyptic art. Having inherited in 1660 the extensive collection of engraved stones from his uncle Gaston d’Orléans, the sovereign set out to considerably enrich the King’s Cabinet, assembling some of the most remarkable ancient cameos and intaglios in Europe. Our intaglio, a contemporary of the king, is of particular interest. Indeed, glyptics from the reign of Louis XIV remain largely understudied. Later, under Louis XV, a famous engraver, Jacques Guay, created numerous portraits in intaglios and cameos and revived the art of glyptics, which he even taught to his patron, Madame de Pompadour. Our ring is listed as number 86 in Maximin Deloche’s book, *La bague en France à travers l’histoire* (The Ring in France Throughout History), published in 1929; the author had assembled a significant collection of antique rings, including our example featuring the profile of Louis XIV. In his 1929 work, he also describes rings given as gifts by the king: “January 3, 1680. — Presented on behalf of the King to the Count of Marsan, as a prize for a ring-and-head race at the King’s Carrousel: 1 diamond ring, worth 4,000 livres. February 2, 1686. — The king gave a ring as a prize for a raffle at the Dauphine’s: 5,270 livres. September 11, 1700. — To Mademoiselle Huot for singing at Meudon before His Majesty: 2 rings, each set with 1 brilliant-cut diamond, worth 5,500 livres each.” Our ring is described there as follows: “The Sun King is already in his twilight years, as he appears in profile on the engraving of the setting of this gold ring made for a woman’s finger (86), and the jewel could have no more fitting counterpart than this other one, adorned with a miniature portrait of Madame de Maintenon (87).”