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Oval gem with sphinx
Greek, East Greek
Late Hellenistic Period
about 1st century B.C.
Findspot: Anatolia (Turkey), Troad, Assos (Behramkale)
Medium/Technique
Chalcedony
Dimensions
Length: 13 mm (1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. J. T. Clarke
Accession Number83.173
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsJewelry, Ancient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Gems
DescriptionIntaglio. Set in modern gold ring. Recumbent sphinx, with breasts and teats, facing left. Her hair is tied back in low bun. She wears a fillet, whose ends hang down the neck of the sphinx, and a diadem with a uraeus. Lips and bottom of nose distinctly rendered by three parallel lines. Tail raised straight in the air. The wings, with feathers in all directions, emerge out of her shoulders and extend back. The motif is situated on a ground line.
ProvenanceAccording to Reports on the Investigations at Assos, 1882, 1883, the gem was found in the debris of the lower town; gift of J. T. Clarke to MFA, 1883