Getty Museum

Engraved gem set in a modern ring

Date

1st century A.D.

Medium

Modern ring: gold; gem: cornelian

Culture

Roman

Department

Jewelry

Institution

Getty Museum

Distinguished by his goat's legs and tail, the god Pan sits on a rock-like object, gazing at the theatrical mask in his hand. A thyrsos, a staff topped with a pinecone and fluttering ribbons, rests on his left shoulder. The staff is an emblem of the companions of Dionysos, the wine-god who is also intimately connected with the world of the theater. A divinity associated with country life, Pan is a god of shepherds and their flocks; he inhabits caves and mountains. Here, by contrast, he is depicted in a more civilized mode, as if he were an actor preparing for his role. The gold ring into which this gem is set is modern.

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