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Identification and Creation
Object Number
1983.25
Title
Engraved Gem with Uterine Symbol and Inscription
Classification
Gems
Work Type
gem
Date
3rd-4th century CE or modern
Period
Roman Imperial period
Culture
Roman
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/289665
Physical Descriptions
Medium
Hematite
Technique
Intaglio
Dimensions
1.4 x 1.6 cm (9/16 x 5/8 in.)
Inscriptions and Marks
  • inscription: in Greek, surrounding the central image,
    OPOYWPIOYΘ
Provenance
[Charles Dikran Kelekian, New York, (by 1982)], by descent; to his daughter Nanette Rodney Kelekian, New York, (1982-1983), gift; to the Fogg Museum, 1983.
Acquisition and Rights
Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Nanette B. Rodney
Accession Year
1983
Object Number
1983.25
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions
Description
Hematite uterine intaglio. The main symbol on one side is a deeply engraved uterus and key with the Greek inscription "OPOYWPIOYTh" in two lines. The stone is slightly chipped at the bottom of the vessel. On the other side there are two rows of magical characters surrounded by a beveled edge.
Publication History

Simone Michel, Die magischen Gemmen: Zu Bildern und Zauberformeln auf geschnittenen Steinen der Antike und Neuzeit, Akademie Verlag (Berlin, Germany, 2004), 339, no. 54.5.a, pl. 73.1.

Related Works

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or 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