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Intaglio with Pegasus Set in a Ring
(Roman Empire )
This intaglio depicts the winged horse Pegasus in profile to the left. Pegasus sprang from Medusa's neck when she was decapitated by the hero Perseus. While Pegasus was drinking from a spring at Corinth, the hero Bellerophon tamed him with a bridle given to him by the goddess Athena. 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 griffins.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Charles Newton-Robinson, London, by 1909 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Newton-Robinson Sale, Christie, Manson, and Woods, London, June 22, 1909, lot 53; Dikran Kelekian, New York and Paris, 1909, by purchase; 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. |
Geographies
Roman Empire (Place of Origin)
Measurements
1/2 in. (1.3 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1909
Location in Museum
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.
42.134