ClassificationsGreek and Roman Art
Intaglio with Bust of Zeus-Serapis
AAT Object Techniquecabochoning
AAT Object Form/Functionbusts (general, figures)
AAT Object Form/Functiongems (worked stones)
AAT Object Techniqueintaglios (sculptural objects)
Possible OriginEgypt, Africa
CultureGreek
Periodlate Ptolemaic Period
Datemid 1st Century BCE
MediumGarnet
Credit LineGift of the Estate of Michael J. Shubin
Dimensions3/16 x 3/16 x 1/8 in. (0.5 x 0.5 x 0.3 cm)
Object number2012.032.012
Label TextBust of Zeus Serapis facing left. He wears a mantle around his shoulders and a woven basket (modius) as a sign of fertility on the crown of his head. The motif echoes the appearance of the cult statue of Serapis in his temple in Alexandria. The god was popularised by Ptolemy I Soter and his worship spread rapidly through the 2nd and 1st centuries BC.
ProvenanceEx coll. Michael Shubin (1950-2008), Montebello, California.
Status
Not on viewCollections
- Greek and Roman Art
1st Century BCE
1st-2nd Century CE
early 3rd Century CE
305-30 BCE
1st Century CE
1st Century BCE-1st Century CE
late 1st Century BCE
mid 2nd Century CE
2nd-3rd Century CE
1st-3rd Century CE
