Literature

This amethyst intaglio depicts a seated woman who can be identified as the goddess Tyche (Fortuna in the Roman pantheon) by the cornucopia in her left hand and the sheaf of wheat in the other. Tyche was the goddess of chance and providence and was known as dispenser of both good and ill fortune. She is often depicted as winged, wearing a crown; she also appears blindfolded and with various objects signifying uncertainty and risk. Due to her control of personal prosperity, Tyche was a popular motif on jewellery and gem seals as people believed she held protective powers and acted as a good luck charm.

Tyche (Fortuna) is commonly depicted with a variety of attributes but was most associated with holding the cornucopia due to her connection with abundance and the harvest. She is often shown holding a rudder, symbolising her role as the divinity guiding and conducting the affairs of the world. For similar examples see Getty Museum, Malibu: acc. no.: 92.AM.8.9, Metropolitan Museum, New York: acc. no.: 81.6.187.