Intaglio
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A figure or design incised into the surface of a stone. In ancient times, intaglios were used for seals in commerce or for purely decorative purposes such as jewelry. The earliest carvings came from the Sumerian civilization dating from the 4th millennium B.C. and were roughly inscribed with geometric forms and cuneiform writing. Intaglios were common during the Babylonian, Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek and Roman civilizations. They were rediscovered during the Renaissance when interest in the Classical period flourished. Their use has continued to a lesser or greater degree since then. The intaglio carvings and many of the impressions used in the Helen Woodhull Collection are the work of a modern-day artisan Martha Hoffman. Martha uses her extraordinary gifts to carve the beguiling intaglio gems and many of the impressions used in the Helen Woodhull Collection. Helen met Martha more than 20 years ago and it has been her good fortune and pleasure to work with this talented and creative stone carver.
The Helen Woodhull Collection is sold exclusively through James Robinson Inc. at
James Robinson Inc. 480 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022
212-752-6166
To order direct, please contact James Robinson Inc.
© 1998 Helen Woodhull All rights reserved.
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