NIKANDROS (Greek). Gem-engraver of the hellenistic period, third century B.C. His signature : NIKAN?POC ?MO?l occurs on an amethyst of the old Marlborough collection, representing a female bust, the style of which and arrangement of hair permit us to assign it to the Ptolemaic period. King describes it as a head of Julia Titi. “ Greatly abused ", says King " by Köhler : The portrait without resemblance, executed utterly without taste, and legend and all of modern origin, &c. Dr B., though far from praising the work, says it has something harsh and unfinished, yet gives the effect of genuineness, and is quite different from the style of the forgeries of the last century. The same holds good for the signature cut in with a certain hastiness, where angular forms of the letters and dots replace the usual curves and circles, so troublesome to execute" (King, Handbook, &c, p. 254). In the Marlborough Sale Catalogue, 1889, p. 79, lot 447, this gem is described as representing the daughter of Titus, and the cataloguer adds : " The inscription is beyond all suspicion genuine, and might be of Ptolemaic date. It is retrograde. " The portrait is to the left, and the signature behind the neck. The original height of the gem must have been 1 1/8 inch, its width 7/8 nearly. The work is bold and doubtless contemporary with the personage it represents. "It was formerly in the Deringh Collection. " This very gem was exhibited at the Burlington Fine Arts Club Exhibition in 1904, and is thus described in the Catalogue by Mr. Cecil Smith : " head and bust, perhaps of a Ptolemaic Queen (c. 300 B.C.), Berenice I. or Arsino? II. She wears a bead necklace. Once a Marlborough gem and wrongly restored as Julia Titi. Signed NIKAN?POC E?OEI." " Frische, lebenswahre,weiche und saftige Formgebung (Furtwängler, " Antike Gemmen" ,ii, 159). Hyacinthine sard." Ein Vergleich mit der Julia des Euodos, die eine gewisse äusserliche Verwandtschaft hat, lehrt am besten die Vorzüge unseres Steines vor jener an sich vortrefflichen Arbeit der Kaiserzeit kennen. Wie viel frischer, lebendiger und wahrer ist das Werk des Nikandros als jenes des Euodos! Das ist derselbe, uns auch sonst bekannte Unterschied der Kunst des hellenistischen Zeitalters von der des kaiserlichen. " (Furtwängler, Gemmen mit Künstlerinschriften , Jahrbuch des K. k. Archäol. Inst., 1888, p. 211). Bibliography. — Babelon, Pierres gravées, p. 132. — King, op. cit. — H. Brunn, op. cit., II, 518. — Furtwängler, op. cit. — Marlborough Sale Catalogue. — Köhler, op. cit. — Raspe, Tassie Gems. — Catalogue of the Burlington Fine Arts Club Exhibition of Greek Art, 1903. — Daremberg and Saglio, Dictionnaire des Antiquités grecques et romaines, art. Gemmae, by E. Babelon, IV, p. 1457.
Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904
Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904
MUTEAU, JEAN
MUTEAU, JEAN (French). Goldsmith of Troyes; Mint-assayer at Troyes, 1382-1388; Die-cutter there, 1399-1414. In 1414 he was appointed Mint-engraver at Lyons, but did not remain long in office, as Guyot de Valenciennes was elected his successor in December 1415. Muteau then returned to Troyes, where he died between 1415 and 1417. He executed works of enamelled gold plate for the cathedral and church of Saint-Etienne at Troyes. Bibliography. — Rondot, Orfevres de Lyon. — Id., Graveurs de Lyon. — Id...
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MUTEAU, JEAN (French). Goldsmith of Troyes; Mint-assayer at Troyes, 1382-1388; Die-cutter there, 1399-1414. In 1414 he was appointed Mint-engraver at Lyons, but did not remain long in office, as Guyot de Valenciennes was elected his successor in December 1415. Muteau then returned to Troyes, where he died between 1415 and 1417. He executed works of enamelled gold plate for the cathedral and church of Saint-Etienne at Troyes. Bibliography. — Rondot, Orfevres de Lyon. — Id., Graveurs de Lyon. — Id...
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MYCON
MYCON (Greek). Gem-engraver of the first century A.D.His signature MYK?NOC occurs on a gem with a male portrait, whom some have called Aristotle, and others, Caligula. This gem was formerly in the Fulvio Orsini collection, and Faber mentions it in his preface to Illustrium imagines, p. 4. Spon (Miscellanea, p. 122) gave a reproduction of it, describing the stone as a sard; he spells the artist's name MIK?NO?, which according to M. Reinach is the only correct orthography. Stosch possessed an impr...
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MYCON (Greek). Gem-engraver of the first century A.D.His signature MYK?NOC occurs on a gem with a male portrait, whom some have called Aristotle, and others, Caligula. This gem was formerly in the Fulvio Orsini collection, and Faber mentions it in his preface to Illustrium imagines, p. 4. Spon (Miscellanea, p. 122) gave a reproduction of it, describing the stone as a sard; he spells the artist's name MIK?NO?, which according to M. Reinach is the only correct orthography. Stosch possessed an impr...
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MYONET, GUIGUES
MYONET, GUIGUES dit DOMEIN (French). Mint-master at Grenoble, appointed 13. January 1490, and in office until 1503, when he was succeeded by Thomas Blondel. On his coins is a G which really stands for the name of the Mint, but it disappeared with Louis XII. His issues comprise : Ecus d'or of Charles VIII. (Hoffmann, n° 8); — A variety of same (Hoffmann, n° 9); — Carolus (Hoffmann, n° 22 ; two varieties) ; — Douzains of Louis XII. (several varieties, without the G). Myonet died at the end of 1502...
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MYONET, GUIGUES dit DOMEIN (French). Mint-master at Grenoble, appointed 13. January 1490, and in office until 1503, when he was succeeded by Thomas Blondel. On his coins is a G which really stands for the name of the Mint, but it disappeared with Louis XII. His issues comprise : Ecus d'or of Charles VIII. (Hoffmann, n° 8); — A variety of same (Hoffmann, n° 9); — Carolus (Hoffmann, n° 22 ; two varieties) ; — Douzains of Louis XII. (several varieties, without the G). Myonet died at the end of 1502...
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MYRON
MYRON (Greek). A celebrated Greek Sculptor, a native of Eleutherae in Boeotia; pupil of Ageladas of Argos, lived about B.C. 500-440. Not only was he one of the most famous artists in antiquity, but one of his works, the renowned Discobolos, is at the present day almost the best known example of Greek sculpture of this period, if not of all times. We are fortunate in possessing not only several admirable copies of this statue, but also of another famous work, the Satyr Marsyas. On the other hand ...
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MYRON (Greek). A celebrated Greek Sculptor, a native of Eleutherae in Boeotia; pupil of Ageladas of Argos, lived about B.C. 500-440. Not only was he one of the most famous artists in antiquity, but one of his works, the renowned Discobolos, is at the present day almost the best known example of Greek sculpture of this period, if not of all times. We are fortunate in possessing not only several admirable copies of this statue, but also of another famous work, the Satyr Marsyas. On the other hand ...
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