Intaglio with the Tail of a Sea Monster

Cleveland Museum of Art

Rectangular, gold-framed intaglio with rounded corners and slightly curved sides. The intaglio features a clear or white stone with an engraved image of a sea creature's tail. The tail appears to have fins or flukes at the end. Two lines of gold text are inscribed on the stone, one at the top and one on the side, reading "APITVS" and "EPS" respectively. The background of the image is a gradient of gray, with the object casting a shadow on the surface below.