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Intaglio with Bacchus and Ariadne
Intaglio with Bacchus and Ariadne

Intaglio with Bacchus and Ariadne

Date1st–3rd century
MediumChalcedony, modern gold setting
Dimensions7/16 x 5/16 in. (1.1 x 0.8 cm)
ClassificationsJewelry
Credit LineGift of Rhoda L. and Roger M. Berkowitz
Object number2008.15
On View
On view
ProvenanceProvenience unknown. Joseph Bard, 1950s–1977 [1] [2]; [Derek J. Content, Inc., Taunton, England, 1998]; Rhoda L. and Roger M. Berkowitz, Pittsboro, NC, 1998; given to NCMA, 2008.

[1] See handwritten card included with donation of the intaglio, based on information shared by the dealer. No supporting documents provided.
[2] The card also lists the subsequent owner (the gem dealer Derek J. Content) as well as the previous one, James Carnegie (1827– 1905), 9th Earl of Southesk, whose famous collection was published in 1908. Information provided to the collector by Content made a reference to this publication, listing the intaglio as no. 19 on plate XIII. The gem does not appear in this volume. Email correspondence with Content between September 2021 and May 2022 did not elucidate this mystery; see NCMA object file 2008.15.
Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," October 7, 2022–present. Object Rights Statement

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