1884.56.92

Collection type

Object

Description

Votive offering in the form of an eye.

Long description

Votive offering in the form of an eye. “Plaque depicting an eye. Dome-shaped. On one side there is a curved eye in relief; the other side is flat (with a slight concavity). The eye is almond-shaped, with ridged eyelids. The eyeball is painted red. Traces of red paint around perimeter of eye.” [Description by Karageorghis, V., 2009, p. 101] [JFK 19/11/2009] From Conservation Card by Emma Hook 06/01/1997 - Votive offering in the form of an eye. Paper label reads (2479). Ink label reads "Anct. CYPRUS Cesnola Coll P.R. coll (2479) (256 blue)". [MJD 28/1/2009]

Geographical reference

Cyprus

Asia > Western Asia > Cyprus

Unknown

Person

Maker Unknown Maker

Field collector Luigi Palma di Cesnola

PRM source Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection

Date / Period

Date made: 30 BC - AD 330 Archaeological period: Roman

Date collected

By 1874

Acquisition information

Donated: 1884

Materials and processes

Material Stone, Process Carved

Dimensions

Width: max 88 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 1884.56.92 Other numbers: Cypriot Archaeology 112 PR Cat other PR nos: 2479

Research and responses

This object might be described in the following article: Nature 22 23.9.1880 p512-3 'A considerable series is devoted to the development of religious properties of various kinds from different parts of the world. Side by side are placed the coarse wax models of breasts, hands, feet, eyes and other parts of the human body offered up at the present time in Roman Catholic shrines in France and elsewhere by persons who have been cured of diseases in those parts and the exactly similar earthenware models of the same parts which were used for a similar purpose in ancient Cyprus and have been found there in excavations. It is most curious how exactly the two series correspond.'[AP Leverhulme project on founding collection 1995-1998]

The date of the above article in Nature does suggest that most of the votive offerings come from the collection of General Luigi Palma di Cesnola rather than from that of his brother Major Alessandro Palma di Cesnola, known as the Lawrence-Cesnola collection. It is possible, although by no means certain, that this object was part of a lot purchased at a sale at Sotheby on 3rd July 1871. The sale was the remainder of the collection of General Luigi Palma di Cesnola. The main part of General di Cesnola's collection had been sold at an earlier auction at Sotheby on 1st May 1871 [Note that only a tiny amount of General di Cesnola's total collection was actually sold - most of it went to New York to the Metropolitan Museum]. The catalogue of the sale on the 3rd July 1871 describes the sale as 'The Remaining Portion of Pottery and Greek Glass, obtained from Excavations made in the Island of Cyprus, comprising lamps with potter's marks, fine vases and objects in terra-cotta, incised ware, beautiful Greek glass, enriched with iridescence, antique bronzes, fine Greek gold ornaments, ... ' Lot 113 was purchased by someone entered in the auctioneer's catalogue as 'Fox'. This may have been Colonel Lane Fox. Lot 113 is listed in the catalogue as 'Votive Hand, Ears, Eyes, &c. and some small objects, engraved.' See the microfilm of the auctioneer's copy of this sale catalogue in the Bodleian Library. [MdeA 29.6.1999]

Associated publications

Published under catalogue number 112 on page 101 in Karageorghis, V., (2009) Cypriote Art in the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. A.G. Leventis Foundation. [JFK 09/10/2009] Illustrated in black-and-white in Plate X(s) in 'Les ex-voto trouvés pal L. Palma di Cesnola à Golgoi en 1870', by Olivier Masson, in M. Amandry, H. Cassimatis, A. Caubet, A. Hermary (eds), Mélanges Olivier Masson (Centre d’études chypriotes, Cahier 27–1997), Paris: De Boccard, 25–9. [JC 12 12 2008]

Search terms: Religion, Figure, Model, Amulet, Religious Offering