stone engraving

MAC GIR-023150

Object type stone engraving

Culture/period

Materials stone

Technique stone carving

Mint

Production date 1 / 100

Seu Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya - Girona

Current location MASPG

Archaeological site Empúries

Township Escala, l' (Alt Empordà)

Dimensions 34 x 29 x 3 mm

Description

Intaglios are small gems cut by incision at the top, which were embedded in jewellery such as rings or pendants. This intaglio is of Roman origin and comes from Empúries (L'Escala, Alt Empordà). It was made from a cornaline gemstone 3.4 cm long and 2.9 cm wide. It represents a well-known mythological motif: a young Ganymede offering a drink to an eagle represented by Jupiter. According to mythology, Ganymede was a boy of incomparable beauty whom Zeus fell in love with and transformed into eagle to abduct him and take him to his Olympus Palace to make him his lover and cup-bearer of the gods.

Omeka ID 3206