ClassificationsGreek and Roman Art
Pendant with Intaglio Gem Depicting Bonus Eventus
CultureRoman
PeriodImperial
Dateearly 1st Century CE
Credit LineGift of the Estate of Michael J. Shubin
DimensionsOverall (Gem): 1 1/16 × 13/16 in. (2.7 × 2.1 cm)
Maximum (Pendant including suspension hoop): 1 1/2 × 15/16 × 3/16 in. (3.8 × 2.4 × 0.5 cm)
Object number2008.031.061
Label TextThis intaglio, mounted as a pendant for a necklace, depicts the Roman personification Bonus Eventus (“Good Outcome”). An early literary reference lists the figure alongside other agricultural deities who should be venerated to ensure a successful harvest (Varro, De Re Rustica 1.1.4 – 6), yet his popularity on carved gems suggests his development into a figure associated with fate, good fortune, and success more generally. As here, he is often depicted as a nude youth holding a patera (libation bowl) and a stalk of wheat.Exhibition HistoryMaking an Impression: The Art and Craft of Ancient Engraved Gemstones, Michael C. Carlos Museum, August 27 - November 27, 2022
ProvenanceEx coll. Michael Shubin (1950-2008), Montebello, California.
Status
Not on viewCollections
- Greek and Roman Art
ca. 1st-3rd Century CE
2nd-3rd Century CE
200-250 CE
late 1st Century BCE
2nd Century CE
1st Century CE
282-246 BCE
1st Century BCE
