Tessera with Busts
Unidentified Palmyrene maker
Palmyrene Empire
Near East
Palmyrene Empire, 2nd century BCE-2nd century CE
Terracotta
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William Eddy, Class of 1934h
179.20.25871C
Geography
Place Made: Eastern Mediterranean, Syria, West Asia, Asia
Object Name
Building Component
Research Area
Near East
On view
Label
Made using molds, these stamped terracotta pieces could be exchanged for entrance into special events in the Palmyrene Empire, which included parts of present-day Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iraq. Tesserae designs often corresponded to event types, and at the conclusion of each event, the molds were destroyed. These two tesserae feature priests (recognized by their kalathos cap), indicating that the objects were intended for a ritual. Other subjects include personal symbols related to the owner of the tessera or miniature versions of public sculpture and other Palmyrene art. Inscriptions on tesserae often name the organizer or sponsor of the banquet.
From the 2025 exhibition Stone, Sand, and Clay: Connecting Cultures in the Ancient Mediterranean, curated by Ashley B. Offill, Curator of Collections
Exhibition History
Investigations into the Ancient Mediterranean, Harrington Gallery Teaching Exhibition, Yale University Collection-Sharing Initiative, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, May 5-June 24, 2012.
Stone, Sand, and Clay: Connecting Cultures in the Ancient Mediterranean, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, June 7, 2025 - Ongoing
Publication History
Investigations into the Ancient Mediterranean, Special Hood Website: The Yale University Art Gallery Collection-Sharing Initiative, 2012.
Provenance
Collected by Mary Emma Garvin Eddy (1896-1990) and William Alfred Eddy (1896-1962), Class of 1923; given to present collection, 1979.
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