The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Rock-crystal and silver spoon

Art Object

Historic Images of the Greek Bronze Age: The Reproductions of E. Gilliéron and Son

Seán Hemingway, curator, Department of Greek and Roman Art, discusses early twentieth-century reproductions of works from Sir Arthur Evans's historic excavations of Minoan Crete and Heinrich Schliemann's Mycenaean Greece.

This lecture was recorded on September 9, 2011, in conjunction with the exhibition Historic Images of the Greek Bronze Age: The Reproductions of E. Gilliéron & Son, on view May 17, 2011, through June 17, 2012.

Eros, God of Love
(00:49:32) 830 views

Rock-crystal and silver spoon

Period:: Early Imperial, Julio-Claudian
Date:: 1st half of 1st century A.D.
Culture:: Roman
Medium:: Rock crystal and silver
Dimensions:: Overall: 7 3/8 x 3 1/8in. (18.8 x 7.9cm) diameter 2 5/8in. (6.7cm)
Classification:: Gold and Silver
Credit Line:: Purchase, The Concordia Foundation Gift, 2000
Accession Number:: 2000.1

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 166

Description

The Romans treasured vessels made of rock crystal, and quite a number of small scent bottles belonging to the Early Imperial period are known. There is, however, no parallel for the use of rock crystal for a utensil such as this spoon.
References

Christie's, New York, December 9, 1999, p. 107, lot 414.

Lightfoot, Christopher S. 2000. "Recent Acquisitions, A Selection: 1999-2000." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 58(2): p. 14.

Picón, Carlos A., et al. 2007. Art of the Classical World in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, no. 462, pp. 394, 496.
See also
What
Metal (59,364)

Silver (14,056)

Gold (12,457)

Flatware (2,143)

Spoons (1,860)

Crystal (611)

Quartz crystal (404)
Where
Roman Empire (5,259)
When
A.D. 1-500 (6,201)
In the Museum
Greek and Roman Art (17,329)
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
Italian Peninsula, 1–500A.D.