ClassificationsGreek and Roman Art
Finger Ring with Intaglio Gem Depicting Hermes Seated at an Altar
CultureRoman
PeriodImperial
Date1st Century CE
Credit LineGift of the Estate of Michael J. Shubin
DimensionsMaximum (Gem): 3/8 × 5/16 in. (0.9 × 0.8 cm)
Hoop diameter: 5/8 in. (1.6 cm)
Maximum (ring): 7/8 × 5/16 × 3/4 in. (2.2 × 0.9 × 1.9 cm)
Object number2012.032.183
Label TextMined in India and Egypt, amethysts were prized in antiquity for their rich violet color, translucency, and the ease with which they could be engraved (Pliny Natural History 37.121). Their brilliant color was associated with wine (Plutarch Convivial Questions 647b) and it was even claimed that they prevented drunkenness (the name derives from the Greek “a-methystos” (‘not-intoxicated’) (Pliny Natural History 37.124; Plato Epigram 28). Amethysts were also thought to have erotic powers: they were referred to as “anterotes” (‘love requited’) and the “eyelid of Venus” (Pliny Natural History 37.123) and were used in love spells to draw the object of affection to his or her lover (Palatine Anthology 5.205). Hermes in his capacity as herald of the dead was also invoked in love spells that called on underworld forces to bind a woman to the man who desired her (e.g. PGM XXXII.1-19). This suggests that this amethyst gem, which shows Hermes seated on an altar, holding his herald’s staff (caduceus), may have been intended as a love charm.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, acquired April 1994.
Status
Not on viewCollections
- Greek and Roman Art
late 1st Century BCE
early 1st Century CE
1st Century BCE
late 2nd Century CE
1st-3rd Century CE
2nd Century BCE
1st Century BCE
