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Wagon attachment, possibly a hitch
Roman
Imperial Period
2nd–3rd century A.D.
Medium/Technique
Bronze and silver
Dimensions
Height x width x depth: 7.5 x 11 x 6 cm (2 15/16 x 4 5/16 x 2 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Torkom Demirjian in honor of John J. Herrmann, Jr., Curator of Classical Art, 1976–2004
Accession Number2008.654.2
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAncient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsTools and equipment – Transportation
DescriptionObject consists of a bar, square in section, with a circular knob at either end. About 1 cm from one end, a circular hole pierces the bar. A U-shaped piece of bronze, also square in section, is attached to the bar at the top of the "U". Two short rods are riveted to the bar perpendicular to the attachment points of the U-shaped piece, one at each end. At the other end of each short rod is a circular knob, each with a silver appliqué on top showing a seated figure.
ProvenanceBy 2005, Torkom Demirjian (dealer), Ariadne Galleries, New York; 2008, gift of Torkom Demirjian to the MFA. (Accession Date: September 17, 2008)
NOTE: This set of wagon fittings (MFA accession nos. 2008.654.1-8) was on loan to the MFA beginning in 2005 and a deed of gift was executed that year, although they were not accessioned until 2008. At the time of the gift, they were said to have been in a private collection in Germany from 1968 until 2002. Subsequently they were said to have been in a collection in Gibraltar from the 1960s until 1988. That account was amended to reflect that the family in Gibraltar had acquired them from a Spanish private collection in the late 1930s. The Museum has not been able to independently verify the ownership history of the wagon fittings prior to the date they were first lent in 2005.
NOTE: This set of wagon fittings (MFA accession nos. 2008.654.1-8) was on loan to the MFA beginning in 2005 and a deed of gift was executed that year, although they were not accessioned until 2008. At the time of the gift, they were said to have been in a private collection in Germany from 1968 until 2002. Subsequently they were said to have been in a collection in Gibraltar from the 1960s until 1988. That account was amended to reflect that the family in Gibraltar had acquired them from a Spanish private collection in the late 1930s. The Museum has not been able to independently verify the ownership history of the wagon fittings prior to the date they were first lent in 2005.