Creative Commons License
Drawer of Gem Impressions
(18th and 19th Centuries )
Tassie’s series of wax impressions of “the choicest” ancient and modern carved gems were a requisite possession for princely collectors and gentlemen, whether for study or to demonstrate their cultural sophistication. This drawer comes from an oak cabinet (Walters 42.1449) containing hundreds of Tassie’s impressions; the cabinet might have been part of Tassie’s shop furniture. Impressions in wax or other materials help to show more clearly the image carved into a gem—an unusual instance where the copy is “better” than the original.
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.
Purchased by Mrs. Thomas R. Boggs, probably from Good's Cameo Corner, London, 1933 (?); given to Walters Art Museum, 1942.
Exhibitions
| 2016 | Madame de Pompadour, Patron and Printmaker. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
Geographies
United Kingdom, London (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Drawer H: 13/16 × W: 8 7/8 × D: 12 in. (2 × 22.5 × 30.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs.Thomas R. Boggs, 1942
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.
42.1449.29
