1960.633: Ring with Intaglio Design: Woman with Wreath and Flutes, Inscription
JewelryIdentification and Creation
- Object Number
- 1960.633
- Title
- Ring with Intaglio Design: Woman with Wreath and Flutes, Inscription
- Classification
- Jewelry
- Work Type
- ring
- Date
- 5th-1st century BCE
- Places
- Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Europe
- Period
- Classical period to Hellenistic
- Culture
- Greek
- Persistent Link
- https://hvrd.art/o/289235
Physical Descriptions
- Medium
- Copper alloy
- Technique
- Cast, lost-wax process
- Dimensions
- 2 x 1.3 x 2.2 cm (13/16 x 1/2 x 7/8 in.)
- Technical Details
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Technical Observations: The patina is a dark greenish black, which is worn in some areas. The decorated bezel shows signs of wear. There is a small area of damage to the patina on the back of the bezel, revealing a fresh metal that shows no signs of deep corrosion. There is also a crack or break in the thinner part of the hoop.
The ring was cast by the lost-wax process. The fine, crisp details of the hair and letters suggest that the design was cut directly into the metal, although this could also have been done to rework features originally formed in the wax. The facets on the ring were probably formed in the wax.
Francesca G. Bewer (submitted 2012) - Inscriptions and Marks
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inscription: in Greek in four vertical lines,
ΑΡΧΕΛΑΙΣ
ΧΑΙΡΕ ΚΑΙ
ΚΑΛΛΙΑΣΟΝ
ΣΟΜΑ
[Transliteration: Ἀρχελαΐς, χαῖρε, καὶ καλλίασον<σὸν> σ(ῶ)μα]
[Translation: "Greetings, Archelais and o most beautiful body." Transl. by D. M. Robinson, "The Robinson Collection of Greek Gems, Seals, Rings, and Earrings" Hesperia Supplements 8 (1949) 316, no. 20.]
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inscription: in Greek in four vertical lines,
Provenance
- Recorded Ownership History
- David M. Robinson, Baltimore, MD, (by 1949), bequest; to Fogg Art Museum, 1960.
Acquisition and Rights
- Credit Line
- Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of David M. Robinson
- Accession Year
- 1960
- Object Number
- 1960.633
- Division
- Asian and Mediterranean Art
- Contact
- am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
- Permissions
-
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Descriptions
Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums
The oval bezel of this ring is decorated with an intaglio design depicting a woman, standing left, with an inscription. The woman holds a wreath in her right hand, while her lowered left hand holds a double pipe. She wears a long dress, with vertical folds rendered. The bezel and circular-sectioned hoop are intact. The inscription may be a “kallos” inscription, frequently found on Greek vases, greeting Archelais and noting that she has a beautiful body.
Lisa M. Anderson
Publication History
- David Moore Robinson, "The Robinson Collection of Greek Gems, Seals, Rings, and Earrings", Hesperia Supplements (1949), Vol. 8, 305-323, 475-480, p. 316-17, no. 20, pl. 42.20-20a.
- Fogg Art Museum, The David Moore Robinson Bequest of Classical Art and Antiquities, A Special Exhibition, exh. cat., Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, 1961), p. 42, no. 386
- John Bodel and Stephen Tracy, Greek and Latin Inscriptions in the USA: A checklist, American Academy in Rome (New York, 1997), p. 49.
Exhibition History
- The David Moore Robinson Bequest of Classical Art and Antiquities: A Special Exhibition, Fogg Art Museum, 05/01/1961 - 09/20/1961
Subjects and Contexts
- Ancient Bronzes
Verification Level
This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu