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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bronwen, post: 376741, member: 5833&quot;]It looks quite black in most of the new batch of pix.&nbsp; A bit of reddishness in the last 2; is it picking up the reflection of something red?&nbsp; If you shine the flashlight at it from the side, does the front look opaque black or deep mahogany?</p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;m surprised not to be able to find a match for this one in a database of engraved gems.&nbsp; New photos bring out details I missed before.&nbsp; Figure does not appear to be wearing a cap/petasos.&nbsp; The wings, which are in an unusual upright orientation, seem attached to a band or fillet holding the hair in place.&nbsp; The hair is not overly long for many depictions of male figures, but longer than most versions of Hermes/Mercury, so I see the possibility of another identity.&nbsp; The caduceus is the traditional staff of a herald, carried by Mercury in his role as a messenger.&nbsp; He is not the only messenger employed by the gods.&nbsp; When she is not shown pouring showers out of a jug, Iris too, although if she is given wings they are usually on her back, carries a caduceus.</p><p><br /></p><p>In all honesty, even if I had the piece in my hand, I could probably not be sure whether it was stone or glass, particularly if it is an opaque black.&nbsp; However, with only photos to go by, my inclination is to think it is stone.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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