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Scarab or Scaraboid Intaglio with a Griffin Set in a Swivel Ring
Gem engraving was a major art form in ancient Greece and Rome. Precious stones were thought to have healing and protective powers and were used as amulets and seals as well as jewelry. Engraved or incised gems, known as intaglios, were often decorated with winged creatures, such as the sphinx and the griffin. This scarab or scaraboid intaglio bears an image of a crouching griffin in profile to the right on the underside.
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.
Alfred Morrison, London, by 1898 [mode of acquisition unknown]; A. Morrison Sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, June 29, 1898, lot 48; Charles Newton-Robinson, London, by 1904, [mode of acquisition unknown]; Charles Newton-Robinson sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 22 June 1909, lot 7; Dikran Kelekian, New York and Paris, 1909, by purchase [Smith as agent]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1909, by purchase; 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. |
| 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. |
| 1983 | Gold Jewelry: Craft, Style, and Meaning from Mycenae to Constantinopolis. Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence. |
| 1979-1980 | Jewelry - Ancient to Modern. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 8/22/1960 | Examination | other |
Geographies
Greece (Place of Origin)
Measurements
W: 11/16 in. (1.8 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1909
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.
42.124
