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Source Description
This intaglio depicts an athlete, frontally, pouring oil from an alabastron with his left hand. To the left is a water jug (hydria) on a table. The athlete may be a small-scale depiction of a famous Greek statue by one of the followers of the renowned sculptor Polykleitos (5th century BCE). The gem is inscribed vertically on the right with the name of a well-known gem-carver of the late 1st century BCE, ΓNAIOΥ (Gnaios). The intaglio has been largely abraded due to early modern cleaning.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
9513
label
Intaglio with an Athlete Set in a Ring
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
7
Source metadata
id
9513
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Intaglio with an Athlete Set in a Ring
description
This intaglio depicts an athlete, frontally, pouring oil from an alabastron with his left hand. To the left is a water jug (hydria) on a table. The athlete may be a small-scale depiction of a famous Greek statue by one of the followers of the renowned sculptor Polykleitos (5th century BCE). The gem is inscribed vertically on the right with the name of a well-known gem-carver of the late 1st century BCE, ΓNAIOΥ (Gnaios). The intaglio has been largely abraded due to early modern cleaning.
provenance
Apostolo Zeno, Venice, by 1736, [mode of acquisition unknown]; Philipp von Stosch, Vienna, ca. 1739, [mode of acquisition unknown]; William Ponsonby, second Earl of Bessborough, Parkstead House, Roehampton, by 1754, [mode of acquisition unknown] [Bessborough no. 36]; George Spencer, fourth Duke of Marlborough, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, by ca. 1765, by purchase [Marlborough no. 621]; George Spencer-Churchill, fifth Duke of Marlborough, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, 1817, by bequest; George Spencer-Churchill, sixth Duke of Marlborough, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, 1840, by bequest; John Spencer-Churchill, seventh Duke of Marlborough, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, 1857, by bequest; Sale, The Marlborough Gems, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 28 June 1875, p. 97, lot 621; David Bromilow, Bitteswell Hall, Leicestershire, ca. 1875, by purchase; Julia Bromilow Jary, Bitteswell Hall, Leicestershire, 1898, by bequest; Sale, The Marlborough Gems Purchased by the Late David Bromilow, esq., Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 26 June 1899, p. 108, lot 621; Mr. Ready, London, 1899, by purchase; Sir Thomas D. Gibson-Carmichael, London, by 1926, [mode of acquisition unknown]; Joseph Brummer, Paris and New York, 1926, by purchase [Brummer inv. no. P3276]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1927, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
late 1st century BCE (Early Roman Imperial)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Precious Stones & Gems
intaglios (sculptural objects)
gems
finger rings
imageCount
7
pageCount
7
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
1.8
height
1.5
dimensionsRaw
Intaglio H: 11/16 × W: 9/16 in. (1.8 × 1.5 cm); Intaglio with gold setting H: 13/16 × W: 3/4 × D: 1/8 in. (2.1 × 1.9 × 0.3 cm); Ring H: 13/16 × W: 7/8 × D: 3/4 in. (2.1 × 2.2 × 1.9 cm)
Source extras
cul
Greco-Roman
inscriptions
[Signature] Gnaios
med
garnet; mount: gold
creator_ids
15416
3014
collection_ids
GRC
ROM
JWL
exhibition_ids
1994
2994
3390
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
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fbd77c7d423796c6
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no
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no
seq
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type
photo
mediaId
0c946a77d2586c31
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type
photo
mediaId
006a89090c02387c
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no
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no
seq
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type
photo
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seq
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type
photo
mediaId
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no
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seq
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type
photo
mediaId
1353ea506a99df61
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no
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no
seq
7
type
photo
mediaId
913f657f5e7760d0
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no