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Source Description
This scarab bears in image of the hero Herakles carved in intaglio. Herakles is in profile to the right and reclining on the skin of the Nemean lion. The tail is visible between the hero's legs while fur and a paw appear behind his back and below his right leg. His right hand rests with a club on the ground next to him, and he raises a large kantharos with his left hand. A tree behind the hero indicates the scene takes place outdoors. Depictions of Herakles reclining are attested as early as the 6th century BCE, but the sculptural type was introduced only in the 4th century BCE. It usually shows the aged and bearded hero resting from his labors and reclining as a symposiast, associating him with the world of Dionysos. It became a popular and widespread theme in Hellenistic and Roman times.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
8268
label
Scarab with Reclining Herakles Set in a Swivel Ring
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
2
Source metadata
id
8268
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Scarab with Reclining Herakles Set in a Swivel Ring
description
This scarab bears in image of the hero Herakles carved in intaglio. Herakles is in profile to the right and reclining on the skin of the Nemean lion. The tail is visible between the hero's legs while fur and a paw appear behind his back and below his right leg. His right hand rests with a club on the ground next to him, and he raises a large kantharos with his left hand. A tree behind the hero indicates the scene takes place outdoors. Depictions of Herakles reclining are attested as early as the 6th century BCE, but the sculptural type was introduced only in the 4th century BCE. It usually shows the aged and bearded hero resting from his labors and reclining as a symposiast, associating him with the world of Dionysos. It became a popular and widespread theme in Hellenistic and Roman times.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1913, [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
first half 5th century BCE (Late Archaic-Classical)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Precious Stones & Gems
scarabs
rings
imageCount
2
pageCount
2
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
1
height
2.5
depth
2.5
dimensionsRaw
Ring H: 3/8 x W: 1 x D: 1in. (1 x 2.54 x 2.54cm); Gem H: 3/8 x W: 9/16 in. (1 x 1.5 cm)
Source extras
cul
Etruscan
med
carnelian, set in a modern gold ring
creator_ids
6291
collection_ids
ROM
JWL
exhibition_ids
2089
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
d560eb8a80b5d7cc
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
6c8d20eab73e29d5
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no