ClassificationsGreek and Roman Art
Sealing Depicting a Snake on an Altar
CultureRoman
PeriodRoman
Date1st Century CE
MediumTerracotta
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. William K. Zewadski
Dimensions3/8 x 7/16 x 3/16 in. (1 x 1.1 x 0.5 cm)
Object number1996.005.031
Label TextSnakes were thought to have protective and apotropaic powers, and appear frequently on amulets as well as in funerary art. This snake is shown coiled on top of an altar, implying a ritual context. The star suggests, in fact, that this may be a depiction of one of the Castores/Dioscuri, who are sometimes represented as snakes, perhaps linking the motif to the Castores Dolicheni and the cult of Jupiter Dolichenus, extending the god’s protection to the document that the seal marked.Exhibition HistoryMaking an Impression: The Art and Craft of Ancient Engraved Gemstones, Michael C. Carlos Museum, August 27 - November 27, 2022
ProvenanceEx coll. William Knight Zewadski, United States, gift from Fortuna Galleries, New York, New York, 1991.
Status
Not on viewCollections
- Greek and Roman Art
1st Century CE
ca. 305-30 BCE
early-mid 20th Century
late 1st Century CE
664-180 BCE
305-30 BCE
1920s-1940s
1076-723 BCE
late 2nd-early 3rd Century CE
