Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Scarab Carved in Intaglio with a Pig-Man
The figure of a pig-headed man derives from the epic story "The Odyssey," which tells of Odysseus' visit to the island home of Circe, a sorceress who turned Odysseus' companions into swine. The stooping pose and hatched border of this carved intaglio scarab are typical Etruscan stylistic motifs. The kantharos balancing on the figure's knees likely contains the potion responsible for his transformation.
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.
Sadie Jones (Mrs. Henry Walters), New York, 1931, by inheritance; Sale, Joseph Brummer, New York, 1942; Walters Art Museum, 1942, by purchase.
Exhibitions
| 2009-2011 | Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville; San Diego Museum Of Art, San Diego; Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation (USA), New York. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 8/29/1960 | Examination | other |
Measurements
Gem H: 9/16 x W: 1/2 in. (1.5 x 1.2 cm); Ring H: 11/16 x W: 13/16 x D: 7/8 in. (1.7 x 2 x 2.2 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, 1942
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.
42.847