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medallion
medallion

medallion

Object NameMedallion with Portrait
Made FromGlass, Paint, Enamel
Dateabout 300
Place Madeprobably Rome
TechniqueBlown, gilded, enameled, cut
SizeOverall D: .4 cm, Diam (max): 4.9 cm
Accession Number90.1.3
Credit LinePurchased in part with donated funds from the Clara S. Peck Endowment Fund
Curatorial Area(s)
On ViewAncient Gallery
Interpretive Notes
Gold-foil decoration, cut to create a portrait, is sandwiched between two fused layers of glass. The Latin inscription “ANATOLI GAVDEAS” means “Anatolius, rejoice!”
Physical DescriptionMedallion with Portrait. Colorless and translucent blue glass, gold, white paint; blown, gilded, enameled, cut. Colorless glass over translucent deep blue glass; glass elements probably case separately and at least partially ground and polished; gold leaf and pigment applied to upper surface of deep blue glass; colorless glass then placed over decorated surface and both elements heated until they fused; after annealing, upper surface of colorless glass and edges ground and polished as necessary. Circular, flat medallion decorated with bust of female, shown full face with hair combed back from forehead in series of waves and with thick eyebrows; wearing mantle over high chiton with nearly-vertical corrugations; in background, Latin inscription in capital letters consisting of two words, one on each side of figure: ANATOLI GAVDEAS (Anatolius, rejoice!); around border, but not in front of bust, which extends to edge of medallion, running scroll of ivy leaves.
Provenance
Source Sheppard and Cooper, Ltd. - 1990-12-21
Former Collection Count Michel Tyszkiewicz (Polish, 1828-1897) - 1898
Rome, by 1892–1898
Former Collection Galerie Ratton-Ladrière
With Galerie Ratton Ladriére, Paris, March 1990