Impressive Amulet

393, Lot: 914. Estimate $500. Sold for $1100. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Carnelian hand amulet pendant. Roman, circa 2nd-3rd centuries AD. Amulet in the form of right hand with thumb placed between curled index and middle fingers. Laterally pierced at wrist. Length: 27mm. Intact and wonderfully carved.

Reportedly ex collection of Mrs. Jane Stuart, acquired in the 1980s.

This hand amulet replicates the “fig sign” used in many modern countries as an obscene gesture. In antiquity, it was widely regarded as a symbol of good luck and fertility.