Rare Islamic Intaglio Seal Bracelet

A scarce and distinguished mid-19th-century specimen bracelet, c.1860, mounted in 18K gold and set with an exceptional assembly of engraved Islamic intaglios spanning nearly a millennium - some originating as early as the 10th century under the Seljuk dynasty.

The practice of remounting ancient engraved gems into contemporary jewellery flourished during the Georgian and Victorian eras, when young aristocrats returning from the Grand Tour acquired classical cameos and intaglios as cultural souvenirs. While most surviving specimen bracelets focus on Greco-Roman or 19th-century European subjects, this example is notably unusual: its collector ventured far beyond Italy and Greece, assembling seals from Persia and the broader Islamic world.

The bracelet is stamped with French 18K gold control marks, with each panel framed in fine wirework. It has a pleasing weight of 20.36g, measures 18cm in length, and remains in excellent condition; all stones are secure.

Each intaglio represents a distinct region, script tradition or artistic period:

Nastaliq calligraphy with elegant, long, sweeping lines and floral elements.

Decorated with star- and dot-motifs.

Carved in early Kufic script; natural hematite striations visible.

With dots, floral detailing, long calligraphic strokes and a spiralling central motif.

Kufic script arranged in a square formation, the terminals forked in the period style.

Nastaliq foliate script with fine floral decoration.

In early Kufic script, again with natural mineral streaking on underside.

Decorated with stars; pale, luminous and sharply engraved.

Depicting the messenger god with winged petasos; likely a later addition to adjust the bracelet’s length.

This bracelet represents a remarkable 19th-century vision of collecting - one that looked beyond Europe to the Islamic world, re-contextualising centuries-old seals within a refined French gold framework. Pieces of this kind are seldom encountered, and almost never with such chronological breadth or preservation.