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Oval gem with seated Bacchus and panther
Roman
Imperial Period
1st–2nd century A.D.
Medium/Technique
Plasma
Dimensions
Length: 11 mm (7/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Alexander Cochrane
Accession Number18.379
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsJewelry, Ancient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Gems
DescriptionIntaglio. Convex front and back with very short straight sides. A male figure (Bacchus) sits on a rock, half-draped by a mantle over his legs. His head is in profile to the left, his body is in three-quarter view. He leans on his left hand which is resting on the rock behind him; his right hand holds a staff (thyrsus). He wears a wreath. A panther sits at his feet. The panther and thyrsus are Bacchus's most common attributes. His head is rendered detached from his body. There is a ground line.
ProvenanceBy date unknown: Alexander Cochrane Collection; gift of Alexander Cochrane to MFA, August 1, 1918