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Collections

Unknown
Beaker with Four Deitiessecond half of 1st century

On view:
Geffen Galleries, floor 1
No image
Artist or Maker
Unknown
Title
Beaker with Four Deities
Place Made
Syria-Palestine
Date Made
second half of 1st century
Medium
Glass, Mold-blown
Dimensions
Height: 4 13/16 in. (12.2 cm); Diameter of rim: 2 9/16 in. (6.5 cm); Diameter of base: 1 11/16 in. (4.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Varya and Hans Cohn
Accession Number
M.88.129.52
Classification
Furnishings
Collecting Area
European Painting and Sculpture: Greek and Roman
Curatorial Notes

This mold-blown beaker with a slightly conical shape is made from light green glass, though heavy weathering has dulled the surface. Around the body of the beaker, four deities (three male, one female) are framed by columns and pediments. Mercury (Greek Hermes), the messenger god of merchants and thieves, stands nude and holds his caduceus, a healing wand with two snakes intertwined. A female figure, likely Diana (Greek Artemis) though possibly a personification of winter, stands in the next niche. The goddess of the hunt, her hair drawn back into a bun, holds a quiver and bow. Next, Hercules (Greek Herakles) is nude and carries an animal of some kind. The last section depicts Hymen, the god of marriage, or possibly personifications of spring and summer, holding a branch in one hand and a rod in the other.

It is unclear whether these deities have been put together for a specific reason, but there are other extant examples similar to this one. Indeed, this beaker belongs to a group of about twenty known vessels with this kind of divine imagery, and they are thought to have been made in connection with athletic competitions. A similar, more common version is the mold-blown circus-themed type sold near arenas as souvenirs. Such vessels have been found in both western Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, and similar or identical molds seem to have been used in both east and west. This particular beaker was made from a five-part mold, and its makeup suggests that they could be somewhat modular, whereby different arrangements of deities could be made with the different parts of the mold.

Selected Bibliography
  • Thomas, Nancy, and Constantina Oldknow, eds. By Judgment of the Eye: The Varya and Hans Cohn Collection. Los Angeles: Hans Cohn, 1991.
  • Saldern, Axel von. Glass 500 B.C. to A.D. 1900: The Hans Cohn Collection. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern, 1980.