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Forepaws raised in adoration, this ichneumon (a type of mongoose) was a votive gift to the cobra-goddess Wadjet. The dedication to her of a snake-eating mongoose may seem ironic, but it is in keeping with Egyptian concepts of association. The inscription on the base names the donor.
Egyptian
H: 6 3/16 x W: 1 13/16 x D: 2 in. (15.7 x 4.6 x 5.1 cm)
H with tang: 6 11/16 x W: 1 13/16 x D: 2 in. (17 x 4.6 x 5.1 cm)
medium: bronze
culture: Egyptian
dynasty: 26th-27th Dynasty
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Kids that read Succeed! Reading a book is a great excuse for peace and quiet. What will you be reading today on#InternationalLiteracyDay ?
France, Nancy, 20th century
glass blown into bronze cage
Diameter: 17.5 cm (6 7/8 in.); Overall: 12.4 x 24.2 cm (4 7/8 x 9 1/2 in.)
Gift of Mrs. Robert I. Gale, Jr., Mrs. Caroline Macnaughton and Fred R. White, Jr.
Each of the four gospels in this book opens on a page with brilliantly illuminated borders depicting the author of the text as well as birds-principally peacocks, symbols of the immortality of the soul-and fountains, representing the fountain of life and the salvation of the soul. This volume consists of 428 leaves with texts in Greek. Its level of sophistication suggests that it was probably written and decorated in a monastery in Constantinople.
Byzantium, Constantinople
ink, tempera, and gold on vellum; leather binding
Sheet: 28 x 23 cm (11 x 9 1/16 in.)
Did you know...
Gospel Books were carried in procession through Byzantine churches.
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
The central emerald has been subtly incised with a many-petaled lotus flower, a symbol of the sun, suggesting the radiance of the outsize gem. The enameling on the back depicts a peacock with a pair of peahens amid flowers. Peacocks signal the monsoon rains. The refined use of enamel indicates that this piece was assembled in the specialized workshops of Jaipur, but the size of the emerald suggests that it was made for imperial use.
Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Jaipur
Gold, emerald, diamonds, enamel, and pearl
Overall: 7.4 x 4.8 cm (2 15/16 x 1 7/8 in.)
Did you know...
The bright color of the emerald indicates it was sourced in South America.
Bequest of Anne Jessop Smith
Nakamura Sojuro (1835-89), dressed as a nobleman, removes his arms from the sleeves of his outer robe to prepare for a sword fight. The play is unidentified.
Japanese
9 13/16 x 7 1/16 in. (25 x 18 cm)
medium: mulberry paper, color, ink
style: Osaka School
culture: Japanese
Walters Art Museum, 1986, by gift.