Ariadne, Cl. 455 © GrandPalaisRmn / Thierry Ollivier
Ariadne, Cl. 455 © GrandPalaisRmn / Thierry Ollivier
3D
Lion heads, Cl. 615, Cl. 616 © GrandPalaisRmn / Jean-Gilles Berizzi
Lion heads, Cl. 615, Cl. 616 © GrandPalaisRmn / Jean-Gilles Berizzi
Lion heads, Cl. 615, Cl. 616 © GrandPalaisRmn / Jean-Gilles Berizzi
Ariadne and lion heads
Description
Most likely a decorative element of a piece of furniture, this elephant ivory statuette made in Constantinople in the early 6th century was found in a tomb in the Rhine valley, with two lion heads in rock crystal.
Sculpted in haut-relief, it depicts Ariadne, a mythological figure associated with Bacchus, dressed in a soft and flowing tunic draped so as to reveal a breast. The eyes were once inlaid with glass beads.
Bacchus’ companion, crowned by two “cupids”, is flanked by two figures that often accompany here in representations of Dionysian processions: a satyr and a maenad playing cymbals.
Ariadne
| Inventory number | Cl. 455 |
|---|---|
| Width | 14 cm |
| Height | 40 cm |
| Depth | 7,5 cm |
| Place of production | Constantinople |
| Place of discovery | Rhine Valley |
| Medium | Glass ; Ivory ; Sculpture |
| Method of acquisition | Alexandre Du Sommerard collection |
Lion's Head No. 1
| Inventory number | Cl. 615 |
|---|---|
| Width | 9 cm |
| Height | 12,5 cm |
| Depth | 10 cm |
| Place of production | Roman Empire |
| Place of discovery | Rhine Valley |
| Medium | Sculpture |
| Method of acquisition | Alexandre Du Sommerard collection |
Lion's Head No. 2
| Inventory number | Cl. 616 |
|---|---|
| Width | 8,5 cm |
| Height | 12 cm |
| Depth | 9,5 cm |
| Place of production | Roman Empire |
| Place of discovery | Rhine Valley |
| Medium | Sculpture |
| Method of acquisition | Alexandre Du Sommerard collection |