
Pernille Klemp
Pernille Klemp
Production Date
No earlier than 499 BC - No later than 400 BCType of Work / Object
- Jewelry > Ring > Finger Ring > Gold Ring
- Signet Ring > Scarab
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Location
Inventory Number
I16
Catalogue Number
I16Catalogue Level / Collection
Thorvaldsen's Collections > Collection of Gems (I)
Explanation
- This gem derives from an Etruscan signet ring. The upper side is in the shape of a scarab, while the underside bears the actual signet. There, the hero Hercules is seen, lying on a float of four amphorae. This motif is frequently encountered in Etruscan pictures, but it is known in neither Greek jewellery nor vases. The way in which he is presented may possibly contain a reference to a particular Etruscan notion of Hercules as a water god. However, the scene could also refer to Hercules’ journey west to the “Pillars of Hercules” (the promontories near Gibraltar), which in antiquity were thought to be the western edge of the world. The workmanship and the club are an early example of the Etruscan “a globolo” style, which was widespread in the 3rd century BC. The gem has been mounted in a modern ring and has probably been used simply as a piece of jewellery as was common practice in Thorvaldsen’s day.
Motif / Theme
Dimension
- Height 1.2 cm
- Width 1.6 cm
Art Form / Craft
Stonemasonry / Stonecutting
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Acquisition Mode
Bequest from Bertel ThorvaldsenAcquisition Date
March 24, 1844