Harvard Art Museums > 1986.559: Engraved Gem with Woman Leaning on a Column Gems Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Engraved Gem with Woman Leaning on a Column , 1986.559,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Apr 19, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/289172. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1986.559 Title Engraved Gem with Woman Leaning on a Column Classification Gems Work Type gem Date c. 330-100 BCE Places Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World Period Hellenistic period Culture Greek Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/289172 Physical Descriptions Medium Carnelian Technique Intaglio Dimensions 2.8 x 1.9 cm, 0.5 cm (1 1/8 x 3/4 in., 3/16 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History Damon Mezzacappa, New York (by 1986), gift; to the Harvard University Art Museums. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Damon Mezzacappa Accession Year 1986 Object Number 1986.559 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description Carnelian intaglio with engraving on the slightly convex surface. A woman stands in profile facing right. In her left hand, she holds bird while he right hand grasps a scepter. She wears a sleevesless chiton, cinched at the shoulders, the folds of which are delicately engraved at the bottom. The details of her face are only schematically rendered, showing her pointed noise and a tiny eye. Her hair is pulled back into a chignon at the nape of her neck. The stone is lightly chipped at the bottom edge. Commentary The style of this gemstone is characteristic of gems from the Late Hellenistic period, which frequently featured full standing figures, many of which are anonymous (1). 1. See J. Boardman, Greek Gems and Finger Rings, p. 360. Publication History G. Max Bernheimer, "Catalog of the Greek Engraved Gems in the Collection of the Harvard University Art Museums" (1988), p. 69-72, no. 24. Exhibition History 32Q: 2220 18th-19th Century, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/19/2015 - 05/05/2016 Verification Level This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or 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
