Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Bulla with Daedalus and Icarus
A "bulla" is a hollow pendant, that could hold perfume or a charm. Found inside this one was "labdanum," a substance used in perfume. Depicted are the mythical craftsman Daedalus and his son, Icarus (on the back). To escape captivity, Daedalus fabricated wings for himself and his son, but Icarus flew too close to the sun, and when the heat melted the wax that held his wings together, he fell to his death.
Inscription
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.
Said to be from Comacchio, near Ferrara; Sangiorgi [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1930, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1993-1994 | Spina: Storia di una Citta tra Greci ed Etruschi. Castello Estense, Ferrara, Ferrara. |
| 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. |
| 1953-1954 | Flight, Fantasy, Faith, Fact. Dayton Art Institute, Dayton. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 12/7/1978 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 1/21/1983 | Examination | examined for loan |
| 4/11/1983 | Examination | other |
| 3/22/1984 | Treatment | repaired |
Geographies
Italy (Comacchio) (Place of Origin)
Measurements
1 5/8 x 1 x 1 in. (4.1 x 2.6 x 2.6 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1930
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.
57.371