Glass medallion of winged Victory

Unknown

1st century CE · Glass · Greek and Roman Art

Translucent cobalt blue, backed in cobalt blue with opaque white. Oval flat plaque, with major axis vertical; rounded edge, grozed at back. Decoration in relief: border around edge comprising indistinct wreath of upward facing leaves and central rosette at top; fine linear border to main panel depicting winged Victory (Victoria / Nike), turned slightly to left with head in profile to left, with hair tied back, wearing a chiton over proper right shoulder with high belt and pleats below, with proper left breast exposed, holding vertical wreath in outstretched proper right hand and a tall leafy frond in left extending upward over left shoulder, and body flanked to either side by outspread long, rounded wings. On back, undecorated layer of blue mixed with streaks of white. Broken, with lower half missing and chips in broken edge; dulling, slight pitting, faint iridescence, and patches of creamy brown weathering. The fragment may be part of a phalera, a decoration that was affixed to the soldier's breastplate.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1st century CE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Roman

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917