Ask the Scholar

Document scope · 4 pages
obj
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory. For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.

Source Description

This steatite ovoid is incised with a horizontally arranged bottom design of a hawk-headed sphinx (?) with a long raised tail. The top displays a pattern with two central, parallel lines and two sets of 'V'-shaped lines on each side. The back and sides are not standardized, and the deeply incised lines vary slightly in depth and thickness. The layout of the top is balanced. The shape of the figure on the bottom is intentionally irregular. The different positions of the legs and open pick demonstrate the energy of the scene. The back is carefully made, and the bottom is more rough.Objects such as this may have an amuletic rather than an administrative seal function. The amulet should secure divine/royal power, and provide magical protection for its owner. The mammal motifs of Syro-Palestine ovoids represent usually antelopes, lions, unidentifiable quadrupeds, or fabulous creatures. This figure combines the body of a lion with a hawk head, and has to be identifed as sphinx. It combines divine and royal aspects, and therefore heavenly and earthly protection.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
2180
label
Scaraboid with Icon of a Sphinx (?)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
4
Source metadata
id
2180
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Scaraboid with Icon of a Sphinx (?)
description
This steatite ovoid is incised with a horizontally arranged bottom design of a hawk-headed sphinx (?) with a long raised tail. The top displays a pattern with two central, parallel lines and two sets of 'V'-shaped lines on each side. The back and sides are not standardized, and the deeply incised lines vary slightly in depth and thickness. The layout of the top is balanced. The shape of the figure on the bottom is intentionally irregular. The different positions of the legs and open pick demonstrate the energy of the scene. The back is carefully made, and the bottom is more rough.Objects such as this may have an amuletic rather than an administrative seal function. The amulet should secure divine/royal power, and provide magical protection for its owner. The mammal motifs of Syro-Palestine ovoids represent usually antelopes, lions, unidentifiable quadrupeds, or fabulous creatures. This figure combines the body of a lion with a hawk head, and has to be identifed as sphinx. It combines divine and royal aspects, and therefore heavenly and earthly protection.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
Ovoid: 9th-7th century BC; Setting: Modern (IA II)
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Gold, Silver & Jewelry
amulets
finger rings
imageCount
4
pageCount
4
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
0.9
height
1.5
depth
1.9
dimensionsRaw
H: 3/8 x W: 9/16 x L: 3/4 in. (0.9 x 1.5 x 1.9 cm); Inner Diam: 1 in. (2.6 cm); Outer Diam: 1 3/16 in. (3 cm)
Source extras
med
black steatite with silver setting
creator_ids
16254
collection_ids
ANE
JWL
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
ed6a6e4c87d0632e
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
d582bbb5e07382ef
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
53f73be5b7ba0f4f
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
85b655a319c52865
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no