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Carnelian Gemstone with Capricorn

Culture Greek or Roman
Title Carnelian Gemstone with Capricorn
Date 200 BCE–100 CE
Medium Carnelian
Dimensions Object: 5/8 × 9/16 in. (1.6 × 1.4 cm)
Overall: 5/8 × 9/16 in. (1.7 × 1.5 cm)
Credit Line Burton Y. Berry Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 66.36.18

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About this Work

This gemstone was almost certainly inserted into a ring and used as a seal. The image carved into it refers to the celestial constellation Capricorn, which is also one of the four cardinal zodiac signs. The figure of Capricorn conventionally is depicted as a fish-tailed goat: in this example, the gem carver took great care to differentiate between the textures of hair and fish scales.


Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Carnelian Gemstone with Capricorn | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=66.36.18