This 12th-century incense burner is incised with calligraphy that identifies its maker and first owner.

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These cylindrical pieces of stone, some barely an inch in length, were incised with intaglio designs featuring gods and animals.

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Another object of delight is Jason Quigno's "Pillar of Tranquility" (2011), a segmented, earth-colored limestone column, incised with gently undulating channels.

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This brown lacquered piece is incised with thin, geometric shapes.

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In ancient times, however, such objects played a more significant role, with the intaglios used as seals (because these carvings were incised rather than raised) and the cameos employed as symbols of the state.

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