Harvard Art Museums > 1977.216.1992: Replica of the Praeneste Fibula Jewelry Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Replica of the Praeneste Fibula , 1977.216.1992,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Apr 24, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/286341. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1977.216.1992 Title Replica of the Praeneste Fibula Classification Jewelry Work Type fibula, pin Date n.d. Places Creation Place: Unidentified Region Period Modern Culture Etruscan Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/286341 Physical Descriptions Medium Copper alloy, gilded Technique Cast Dimensions 11 cm (4 5/16 in.) Technical Details Technical Observations: The fibula appears is a modern fabrication of a known artifact, and as such, there is little evidence indicating antiquity. Henry Lie Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Transfer from the Department of the Classics, Harvard University, Purchased in Rome Accession Year 1977 Object Number 1977.216.1992 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums This object is a replica of the Praeneste fibula, which bears one of the earliest Latin inscriptions: “MANIOS MED FHEFHAKED NVMASIOI” (Manius made me for Numerius). The inscription on the original was incised, while on this replica it appears to be part of the casting; the letterforms differ slightly, and the replica does not copy the original inscription exactly. This replica is missing the pin; it is also, like the original, missing one of the cylindrical elements on the bow. The original Praeneste fibula is now in the Museo Preistorico Etnografico Luigi Pigorini, Rome, inv. no. 2819. Although the authenticity of the inscription on that piece has been extensively debated (1), recent technical analysis with a scanning electron microscope has indicated that the inscription is authentic (2). NOTES: 1. See A. E. Gordon, The Inscribed Fibula Praenestina: Problems of Authenticity, University of California Publications: Classical Studies 16 (Berkeley, 1975); D. Ridgway, “Manios Faked?” Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies 24 (1977): 17-30; E. P. Hamp, “Is the Fibula a Fake?” American Journal of Philology 102.2 (1981): 151-53. 2. See D. F. Maras, “Scientists Declare the Fibula Praenestina and Its Inscription to be Genuine ‘Beyond Any Reasonable Doubt,’” Etruscan News 14 (2012). It would be interesting to compare the condition of the surfaces of the original fibula with this replica, which is thought to be gilt. Lisa M. Anderson Exhibition History 32Q: 2700 Impressionism, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 09/27/2018 - 02/07/2019 32Q: 3620 University Study Gallery, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 01/28/2023 - 05/07/2023 Subjects and Contexts Ancient Bronzes Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
