Object type
stone engraving
Materials
stone
Technique
stone carving
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.
© Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya - Girona
Omeka ID
3206