Getty Museum
Box bezel ring
Creator
Santa Eufemia MasterArtist
All works by this person →The Santa Eufemia Master was a goldsmith who worked in Tarentum, one of the Greek colonies in South Italy. As with most artists in antiquity, his real name is unknown and he is identified only by the stylistic traits of his work. He takes his name from the place where one of his rings was found.The Santa Eufemia Master created box bezel rings, scarab rings, pendants, and diadems. The use of a flat
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- about 340–320 B.C.
- Medium
- Gold
- Culture
- Greek (South Italian)
- Department
- Jewelry
- Institution
- Getty Museum
Riding his winged horse Pegasos, the Greek hero Bellerophon slays the monstrous Chimaera on this gold ring. A South Italian goldsmith constructed the elaborate box bezel from sheet gold and decorated it with gold floral filigree on all sides. He made the repoussé scene of Bellerophon separately and attached it to the bezel as an appliqué. Using a link of a gold chain for the ring's hoop, he masked the join of the hoop and bezel with palmettes. Box bezel rings are rare, and this example is unique in its rendering of a complex mythological scene on the bezel. The theme of Bellerophon and the Chimaera may have been adapted from vases. It was a popular motif among South Italian vase-painters in the later 300s B.C.
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