A 18k signet ring set with a Grand Tour carnelian intaglio. Pan fighting a goat.

A captivating Grand Tour carnelian intaglio depicting the dynamic scene of Pan confronting a goat, expertly engraved in the 18th century and set in a substantial 18K gold signet ring. This remarkable piece exemplifies the neoclassical fascination with bucolic mythology and ancient glyptic art.
The intaglio presents Pan, the rustic god of shepherds and flocks, engaged in spirited combat with a goat—a subject that captures both the playful and wild nature of this hybrid deity. The engraving demonstrates accomplished artistry, with careful attention to anatomical detail and movement, executed in the warm reddish-orange carnelian that was so prized by Grand Tour collectors.

This composition derives from an ancient original, as documented by Paoletti (n°528), who recorded a glass impression of the same scene titled "Lotta di Satiro, e Caprone, da una pittura dell'Ercolano nel Museo di Napoli" (Fight between Satyr and Goat, from a painting at Herculaneum in the Naples Museum). The original carnelian intaglio from which these impressions were taken is preserved in the Kestner Museum, Hanover, attesting to the enduring popularity of this classical motif during the Grand Tour era.

The stone is mounted in a later heavy gold signet ring of excellent quality (18K-750), featuring a classic design that allows the intaglio to be appreciated while providing structural integrity for daily wear or as a gentleman's statement piece.