Scaraboid Engraved Gem with Bearded Head

Identification and Creation

Object Number: 1986.564
Title: Scaraboid Engraved Gem with Bearded Head
Classification: Seals
Work Type: seal
Date: c. 525-480 BCE
Places: Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World
Period: Archaic period
Culture: Greek
Persistent Link: https://hvrd.art/o/289174

Physical Descriptions

Medium: Carnelian
Technique: Intaglio
Dimensions: 1 x 1.5 x 0.8 cm (3/8 x 9/16 x 5/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History: Damon Mezzacappa, gift; to the Harvard Art Museum, 1986.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line: Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Damon Mezzacappa
Accession Year: 1986
Object Number: 1986.564
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

Description: Carnelian scaraboid (intaglio gem in the shape of a beetle).Bearded head in profile to the left. Long hair and facial features are rendered with a linear style. Scarab in the shape of a beetle, simply carved. A single line between the head and thorax and two lines define the elytra. The wings are indicated by two lines angling back. Plain plinth. The flat face has significant chipping.

Publication History

G. Max Bernheimer, "Catalog of the Greek Engraved Gems in the Collection of the Harvard University Art Museums" (1988), pp. 29-31, no. 4

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

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1986.564: Scaraboid Engraved Gem with Bearded Head