Letter from Marvin Ross to Mildred Bliss, 1703 32nd Street, November between 1951-1960 Digital
Scope and Contents
Handwritten letter from Marvin C. Ross to Mildred Bliss reporting that he has just written an entry for the Catalogue on the red jasper cameo with the Gorgon's [Medusa] head. He feels it is a fascinating object and needs more attention some day. He informs Mildred that the Gorgon's head became a great favorite for amulets and other ways. He says it was the idea of making an ugly face that would scare away a bad man and continued in use long into the Christian era. On the leaf of a Consular diptich of Flavius Anastasius (Constantinople, 518 A.D.) in the Victoria and Albert Museum, it is used as decoration on the consul's chair. In the treasure of the Cathedral at Padua is a silver box, Byzantine X century, the cover of which is decorated with a Gorgon's head. At Maastricht in Holland is an amulet with an intaglio with a Gorgon's head, Byzantine XI-XII century.
In the Louvre is an enameled amulet, Byzantine, XII century, also with the Gorgon's head and an inscription begging protection against the colic. He says one finds many early Russian ones. The curator at the Sergei Lavra at Zagorsk told him that the latest research in Russia was that an amulet had been brought to Kiev from Constantinople and had been copied and recopied.
Marvin Ross poses the questions: what is the date of your red-jasper cameo? and What and how was it used? He then answers: Post-classical certainly, probably late IV or early V century A.D.; and Possibly set in a pendant since the edge is made so that it could be mounted. Marvin goes on to say that possibly it is a little heavy for a pendant; however, statues of the emperors often show them with armour decorated with a Gorgon's head. He questions whether Mildred's Gorgon's head could have been used for that purpose. He ends by saying the most important thing after all is it's beauty.
Dates
- Creation: November 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
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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