Tessera with Busts

Unidentified Palmyrene maker
Palmyrene Empire
Near East

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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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