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Winged Hypnos
(Ancient Greece )
Hypnos, the Greek personification of Sleep and son of Nyx (Night), appears as a winged child or youth; he closely resembles his twin brother Thanatos (Death) as well as Eros. His attributes can include a horn containing sleep-inducing liquids or poppy seeds to bring slumber to gods and mortals. Here, he is holding a cup, possibly containing water from the Lethe, one of the rivers in the underworld. Drinking water from this "river of oblivion" causes forgetfulness.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2009 | Things With Wings: Mythological Figures in Ancient Greek Art. Ward Museum, Salisbury. |
| 2005-2006 | Things With Wings: Mythological Figures in Ancient Greek Art. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 1988-1989 | From Alexander to Cleopatra: Greek Art of the Hellenistic Age. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Geographies
Greece (Place of Origin)
Measurements
5 1/8 in. (13 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
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.
48.291