Object details
Accession number
S5s13
Primary Creator
Italian, Venice
Full title
Medallion: Four Lions Joined by a Single Head
Creation Date
12th century
Provenance
In September of 1897, Isabella Stewart Gardner purchased many pieces of Venetian relief sculpture and architectural elements in anticipation of the creation of her museum. These purchases included 35 marble medallions or 'paterae,' and in 1899 she purchased three more medallions for a total of 38. These medallions were all purchased in Venice, the majority coming from the dealers Francesco Dorigo and Moisé dalla Torre and one more from the art dealer Antonio Marcato. The 1899 purchases were also made in Venice, an additional patera coming from Francesco Dorigo and two from the art dealer and restorer Dino Barozzi. Gardner installed at least one of her medallions in the Conservatory at Green Hill, her residence in Brookline, Massachusetts, by about 1900 before the group was reinstalled in the Courtyard of Fenway Court.
This patera is possibly one of two objects described as "patera Lions / tondos" in Gardner's receipts (museum archives). Purchased by Isabella Stewart Gardner from Francesco Dorigo for 125 lire on 22 September 1897.
Dimensions
22.2 cm (8 3/4 in.)
Display Media
Stone
Web Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.
Permanent Gallery Location
Courtyard
Bibliography
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), p. 42. (the group as 12th-13th century, Venetian)
Walter Cahn. "Romanesque Sculpture in American Collections. IV. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston." Gesta (1969), pp. 56-59, no. 14x. (as 12th century, Venetian)
Cornelius C. Vermeule III et al. Sculpture in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 1977), pp. 64-66, no. 93bb.
Alan Chong et al. (eds.) Eye of the Beholder: Masterpieces from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 2003), p. 29. (the medallions disucssed as a group)
Rights and reproductions
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