ClassificationsGreek and Roman Art
Intaglio Gem Depicting the Conjoined Heads of an Elephant, Silenus, Youth and Bearded Man
CultureRoman
PeriodImperial
Date2nd-3rd Century CE
Credit LineGift of the Estate of Michael J. Shubin
Dimensions5/16 x 7/16 x 1/16 in. (0.8 x 1.1 x 0.2 cm)
Object number2008.031.112
Label TextThis intaglio is engraved with a fantastical device combining the heads of Silenus, a youth, a bearded man, and an elephant holding a caduceus, the staff of Mercury, in its trunk. The elephant was closely linked with the victory of Dionysos, and often appears on ‘combination gems’ with Dionysian figures like Silenus. The motif may have been intended to herald abundance and good fortune.Exhibition HistoryMonsters, Demons & Winged Beasts: Composite Creatures in the Ancient World, Michael C. Carlos Museum, February 5 - June 19, 2011
Making an Impression: The Art and Craft of Ancient Engraved Gemstones, Michael C. Carlos Museum, August 27 - November 27, 2022
Published ReferencesJames Tassie and Rudolf E. Raspe, A Descriptive Catalogue of a General Collection of Ancient and Modern Engraved Gems, Cameos as well as Intaglios, Taken from the Most Celebrated Cabinets in Europe; and Cast in Coloured Pastes, White Enamel, and Sulphur (London, 1791), 710, number 13461.
Kenneth Lapatin, "Grylloi," in "Gems of Heaven": Recent Research on Engraved Gemstones in Late Antiquity, c. AD 200-600, ed. Christopher Entwistle and Noel Adams (London: The Trustees of the British Museum, 2012), 89, plate 7.
ProvenanceEx coll. John Macgowen, Edinburgh, Scotland, ca. late 18th Century. Ex coll. Michael Shubin (1950-2008), Montebello, California.
Status
Not on viewCollections
- Greek and Roman Art
late 1st Century BCE
2nd Century CE
1st-2nd Century CE
2nd-3rd Century CE
1st-2nd Century CE
early 3rd Century CE
8th-9th Century CE
