Creative Commons License
Hermes
(Roman Empire )
The ancient Greeks conceived of their messenger gods-divinities who carried messages to other gods or humans-as winged, alluding to their swiftness and their ability to go anywhere. Iris and Hermes were the main messenger gods in Greek mythology. This bronze displays characteristic attributes of Hermes: a mantle ("chlamys"), a winged hat ("petasos"), small wings on his ankles, a purse (as he was the god of merchants), and, originally, a herald's staff ("kerykeion"), which was an attribute for Iris as well.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Forman Collection Sale (?), no. 110; 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. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 6/7/1957 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 10/3/2005 | Treatment | cleaned |
Measurements
5 15/16 in. (15.1 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.
54.985