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Oval gem with birth of Athena
Roman
Republican or Early Imperial Period
1st century B.C.
Medium/Technique
Carnelian
Dimensions
Length: 15 mm (9/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bartlett Collection—Museum purchase with funds from the Francis Bartlett Donation of 1912
Accession Number13.234
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsJewelry, Ancient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Gems
DescriptionIntaglio. Flat front and convex back; set in modern ring. Zeus seated at right with Athena, fully grown and armed, emerging from his head. Zeus has a bare torso, and wears a garment around his legs. At left, another figure stands with his left leg resting on a rock(?) and holding a palm frond in his left hand. He has a mantle draped over his right harm. Motif situated on a ground line.
ProvenanceFrom the Boulton Collection, sold at auction, Dec. 12th, 1911, according to Warren's records; purchased by MFA from Edward Perry Warren, January 2, 1913, for $18,948.70 (this figure is the total price for MFA 13.186-13.245)