Fire Altar Intaglio

Cleveland Museum of Art

The Fire Altar Intaglio by an unknown artist depicts a small, rounded, brown stone with a carved design on it. The stone has a smooth surface and appears to be made of a translucent material, possibly jasper or agate. The carving on the stone shows a fire altar with flames rising from it, surrounded by a few objects. The background of the image is dark at the top and light at the bottom, suggesting that the stone is being lit from the front. The stone casts a shadow on the surface below it. The background behind the stone fades to black.