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Athena with an Owl
(Ancient Greece )
A maidenly and surprisingly modest Athena bends her head forward. Perched on her hand is an owl, the emblem of her wisdom. Her war-like aspect is downplayed here, although her upraised left hand once held a staff or spear, and she wears a helmet crowned by a sphinx. The simplicity of the figure heightens appreciation of the artist's skill.
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.
Henri Leman, Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1929, by purchase [Joseph Brummer as agent; Brummer inv. no. X401]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1995-1996 | Pandora's Box: Women in Classical Greece. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas; Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig, Basel. |
| 1992-1993 | Goddess and Polis: The Panathenaic Festival in Ancient Athens. Hood Museum of Art, Hanover; Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond; Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 3/18/1992 | Treatment | other |
| 11/30/2000 | Treatment | other |
| 6/25/2001 | Treatment | other |
Geographies
Greece (Place of Origin)
Measurements
5 11/16 x 3 1/8 x 1 3/16 in. (14.5 x 7.86 x 3 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1929
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.
54.766