Amber disk with a nereid riding a triton

Unknown

ca. 1st–early 2nd century CE · Amber · Greek and Roman Art

Valued for its rarity and richness, amber was an increasingly favored precious material from the time of the emperor Nero, when it became more widely available. The elder Pliny, in his Natural History, tells us that amber was imported from the Baltic coast of Germany. The style of the carving and iconography of this piece look back to Hellenistic art. The disk preserves the remains of silver pins that were part of a handle on either side of the Nereid. It likely served as a lid, possibly for a small pyxis (box).

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1st–early 2nd century CE

Medium

Amber

Culture

Roman

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1923