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Source Description
The outside of this elegant gold toilet case is decorated with chiseled and engraved scenes from the Roman poet Ovid's "Metamorphoses": the seated sculptor Pygmalion admires his creation, the ivory statue of a maiden with whom he falls in love (Book X); and, on the opposite side, Mercury flies above the priestess Herse, the object of his affection (Book II). The case contains a silver-and-gold folding knife, a pair of scissors, a gold bodkin and pencil, a pair of steel tweezers, and an ivory writing tablet. A ring on top indicates that the case could be worn as a pendant so that the utensils would be readily accessible. The button on the side used to open the case is studded with a diamond.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
1180
label
Toilet Case with Scenes from the ""Metamorphoses""
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
2
Source metadata
id
1180
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Toilet Case with Scenes from the ""Metamorphoses""
description
The outside of this elegant gold toilet case is decorated with chiseled and engraved scenes from the Roman poet Ovid's "Metamorphoses": the seated sculptor Pygmalion admires his creation, the ivory statue of a maiden with whom he falls in love (Book X); and, on the opposite side, Mercury flies above the priestess Herse, the object of his affection (Book II). The case contains a silver-and-gold folding knife, a pair of scissors, a gold bodkin and pencil, a pair of steel tweezers, and an ivory writing tablet. A ring on top indicates that the case could be worn as a pendant so that the utensils would be readily accessible. The button on the side used to open the case is studded with a diamond.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
ca. 1750
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Gold, Silver & Jewelry
dressing cases
pendants
imageCount
2
pageCount
2
source
import
dimensionsRaw
4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm) (l.)
Source extras
inscriptions
[Mark] On back of spoon: LT or IT
med
case: gold, diamond; utensils: gold, silver, steel, ivory
creator_ids
6197
collection_ids
EAN
exhibition_ids
1954
2227
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
deef6f6688ddfc16
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
4ddd10cc77e72932
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no