Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Griffin Fibula
A fibula is a brooch or pin used for fastening garments. This particular fibula, now covered in a brown patina, has been cast into the shape of a winged griffin, a popular motif in the art of Urartu. The griffin’s head is turned from the general direction of its body and its wings are gently folded onto its back. The fastening pin is missing. Where the pin would have been placed, the griffin’s legs join, morphing into a human hand, emphasizing the creature’s composite and hybrid character. Despite the small size of this object, attention was given to articulating the griffin’s feathers, scales, and muscles through incision. Tiny, yet masterfully rendered in bronze, this fibula would have been a prestige item of adornment.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Andronicos Kidaoglou, Constantinople, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Joseph Brummer, Paris and New York, 1925, by purchase [Brummer inv. no. P2124]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1925, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1984-1987 | Objects of Adornment: Five Thousand Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio; Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa; Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu; New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans; Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee; Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis; Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota. |
| 1987 | Jewelry from the Walters Art Gallery and the Zucker Family Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1979-1980 | Jewelry - Ancient to Modern. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 4/30/1957 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 12/20/1977 | Examination | x-ray fluorescence |
| 6/1/1983 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 6/14/1983 | Loan Consideration | examined for loan |
| 3/1/1984 | Treatment | cleaned; coated; other |
Geographies
Iran
(Place of Origin)
Turkey, Van (Place of Origin)
Measurements
1 3/8 x 1 3/16 x 9/16 in. (3.5 x 3.1 x 1.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1925
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
54.2232