Harvard Art Museums > 1932.56.18: Spike with Inverted Cup-Shaped Head Furniture Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Spike with Inverted Cup-Shaped Head , 1932.56.18,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Apr 19, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/303739. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1932.56.18 Title Spike with Inverted Cup-Shaped Head Classification Furniture Work Type attachment Date 3rd century BCE-3rd century CE Places Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World Period Roman period Culture Roman Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/303739 Physical Descriptions Medium Copper alloy Technique Cast, lost-wax process Dimensions 4 x 2.8 x 2.8 cm (1 9/16 x 1 1/8 x 1 1/8 in.) Technical Details Technical Observations: The patina is black and green with a few tiny areas of cupritic reddish-brown corrosion accretions. The object’s surface is covered with large amounts of sandy burial accretions, which conceal evidence of its condition and method of manufacture. The edges are uneven due to corrosion. The spike was probably cast. Although one of the crossbars in the cup-shaped head seems to bear traces of a mold-line, the other one does not. It is more likely that it was cast indirectly and that the crossbars were added in the wax. The shaft and point may have been hammered to extrude and harden it. Francesca G. Bewer (submitted 2012) Provenance Recorded Ownership History Dr. Harris Kennedy, Milton, MA (by 1932), gift; to the William Hayes Fogg Art Museum, 1932. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Dr. Harris Kennedy, Class of 1894 Accession Year 1932 Object Number 1932.56.18 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 short spike has a cup-shaped head on a tapering shaft (1). Within the head, there is a bar that forms a loop, possibly for securing a decorative cover for the head. NOTES: 1. Although the function of the object is unclear, it might be compared with S. Boucher and H. Oggiano-Bitar, Le trésor des bronzes de Bavay (Lille, 1993) 68-69, nos. 50-66, thought to be decorative nails for furniture. Lisa M. Anderson Subjects and Contexts Ancient Bronzes Related Works 1932.56.19 Spike with Inverted Cup-Shaped Head Furniture 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
