Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Diadem
High-ranking or wealthy Greek women often wore elaborate diadems and hairnets of gold and gemstones as part of their jewelry. The centerpiece of this intricate openwork diadem is adorned with a large Hercules knot, inspired by the one the hero used to tie the paws of the lion skin he wore. Due to its protective quality, it also became important in marriage symbolism and was a common motif for women's jewelry of the Hellenistic period, and in royal Macedonian art more generally. The Roman author Pliny (AD 23-79) even attributed healing qualities to the Hercules knot. This elaborate example is decorated with a miniature snake on each of the four edges, twelve gold rosettes, and two long tassels, which would be placed on the forehead.
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.
Collection of Canessa Sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, May 11-14, 1903, lot 259; E. Guilhou [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Collection of E. Guilhou Sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, March 16-18, 1905, lot 82; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1905, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2016 | Pergamon and the Hellenistic Kingdoms of the Ancient World. |
| 2010 | Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry. El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso. |
| 2006-2009 | Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 1988-1989 | From Alexander to Cleopatra: Greek Art of the Hellenistic Age. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1979-1980 | Jewelry - Ancient to Modern. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 8/29/1983 | Loan Consideration | examined for loan |
| 11/9/1988 | Treatment | cleaned; repaired |
| 7/21/1997 | Treatment | repaired |
| 9/15/1997 | Treatment | repaired |
| 4/5/2006 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 5/12/2017 | Treatment | mounted; stabilized |
Geographies
Greece
(Place of Origin)
Greece, Macedonia (Place of Discovery)
Measurements
L: 17 3/4 × W: 2 3/8 × D: 1/4 in. (45.09 × 6.1 × 0.7 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1905
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.
57.1541