Cupid and Psyche carnelian intaglio ring by Nathaniel Marchant, Can$80,000 (£45,700) at AH Wilkens.
Prolific in both Italy and England, he was probably the most famous gem engraver of the late 18th and early 19th century.
In 1792 he published the Catalogue of One Hundred Impressions from Gems engraved by Nathaniel Marchant - listing the various subjects in his oeuvre and the names of the social elite who commissioned them.
This particular subject is listed there as ‘Cupid and Psyche: From a group in the Museum Capitolinum. This group was found in the year 1749, on Mount Aventine.’
The ring emerged for sale at AH Wilkens (22% buyer’s premium) in Toronto, Ontario, on May 28 where it was fully catalogued but estimated at a modest Can$3000-5000.
It provided more evidence of a strong market for the glyphic arts when it hammered at Can$80,000 (£45,700).
