Carved Gem with Daedalus, from Wilcote, Oxfordshire: 2nd century AD

This tiny gemstone of semi-precious Cornelian is only 9mm long. It would have been set in a signet-ring. It shows a scene from Greek mythology, in which the legendary craftsman Daedalus is making wings with which he will escape from the court of King Minos on Crete.

In early Roman times signet-rings were widely used, though they fell out of favour in the 3rd century AD when stones (even those set in rings) were more often uncarved although set in marvellous pieces of jewellery.

© 1998 Oxfordshire Museum Service, Setúbal Museums and the Benaki Museum