Letter from Marvin Ross to Mildred Bliss, April 27 between 1951-1960 Digital
Scope and Contents
Handwritten letter from Marvin C. Ross to Mildred Bliss offering a brief summary of his iedeas on the Byzantine glass cameos of the XI-XIII centuries. Three came from Constantinople and two have Byzantine settings that make the Dumbarton Oaks Collection of considerable importance in the future study of these glass paste cameos. The other glass paste in D.O. [Dumbarton Oaks] is probably VII century and is not concerned here. He tells her the Dumbarton Oaks group of paste (Byzantine) is the most important in America.
Marvin Ross lists the glass pastes in Dumbarton Oaks: St. Theophano, probably Constantinople, XI century; St. Theodore, in gold pendant, Byzantium, XII-XIII century; St. Theodore, unmounted, found in Constantinople, XII-XIII century; St. Demetrius, in gold pendant with chain, points to Constantinopolitan, XII-XIII century; Nativity unmounted, found in Constantinople, XIII century. His summary reports these cameos have often been attributed to Venice, but the fact that those in Dumbarton Oaks were found in Constantinople or have Byzantine settings and have Greek inscriptons, etc. point to Constantinople as the place where the idea of making rich cameos (probably cast aster real gylptics) as originating in Constantinople, later spreading to Venice.
Dates
- Creation: April 27 between 1951-1960
Creator
- Ross, Marvin C. (Marvin Chauncey), 1904-1977 (Correspondent, Person)
Language of Materials
Materials chiefly in English with a few items in Greek, Latin, French, Italian, or Spanish.
Conditions Governing Access
An appointment is required for access to these papers. To request an appointment, fill out the online form: http://www.doaks.org/research/library-archives/access-and-hours/schedule-an-appointment.
For research queries, contact the staff of Image Collections and Fieldwork Archives (library@doaks.org).
Extent
23 boxes (Approximately 2632 items including correspondence, expense reports, invoices, estimates, deposit records, book lists, newspaper clippings, newsletters, and plant lists.)Creator
- Ross, Marvin C. (Marvin Chauncey), 1904-1977 (Correspondent, Person)
Subject
- Bliss, Mildred Barnes, 1879-1969 (Recipient, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Dumbarton Oaks Repository
Dumbarton Oaks holds archival collections in its Rare Book Collection, Image Collections and Fieldwork Archives, and the Dumbarton Oaks Archives. The collections include: the papers of noteworthy scholars in the three fields that Dumbarton Oaks supports (Byzantine, Pre-Columbian, and Garden and Landscape); image collections depicting objects or sites of topical interest to scholars in the three fields; Beatrix Farrand’s personal archive of letters and original drawings that document the development of the Dumbarton Oaks Garden; and institutional records and architectural plans and drawings documenting the history of Dumbarton Oaks. For more information about hours and to make an appointment to consult any of the collections listed here, please fill out the request form: https://www.doaks.org/research/library-archives/schedule-an-appointment