The Berthouville silver treasure and Roman luxury
By: edited by Kenneth Lapatin ; with contributions by Mathilde Avisseau-Broustet, Cécile Colonna, Isabelle Fauduet and six others
Contributors: J. Paul Getty Museum
Publisher: J. Paul Getty Museum
Published: 2014
Language: eng
Number of pages: 190
ISBN-13: 9781606064207
Subjects: Romans; Gauls; Art collections; Bibliothèque nationale de France. Département des monnaies, médailles et antiques; Classical Silverwork; Bibliothèque nationale de France; Excavations (Archaeology); Roman Antiquities; Silverwork
Description: "In 1830 a farmer plowing a field near the village of Berthouville in Normandy, France, discovered a trove of ancient Roman silver objects weighing some 55 pounds (25 kilograms). The Berthouville treasure, as the find came to be known, includes two statuettes representing the Gallo-Roman god Mercury and approximately sixty vessels--bowls, cups, pitchers, and plates, many of which bear votive inscriptions--along with dozens of smaller components and fragments. Dedicated to Mercury by various individuals, the treasure, including some of the finest ancient Roman silver to survive, fortunately escaped being melted down. It was acquired by the Cabinet des médailles et antiques of the Bibliothèque Royale (now the Département des Monnaies, médailles et antiques of the Bibliothèque nationale de France), where it was displayed until late 2010, when it was brought in its entirety to the Getty Villa together with four large, late antique silver plates, each with its own colorful history, for comprehensive conservation treatment. This sumptuously illustrated volume ... presents the highlights of the treasure and other Roman luxury arts from the holdings of the Cabinet des médailles--including precious gems, jewelry, gold coins, and colored marbles--and contextualizes them in a series of elucidating essays."--Publisher's Web site.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 172-178) and index.
Table of contents: title: Foreword / -- Timothy Potts -- Introduction / -- Kenneth Lapatin; title: The Berthouville treasure :; title: a discovery "as marvelous as it was unexpected"  -- Mathilde Avisseau-Broustet, Cécile Colonna, and Kenneth Lapatin; title: Gaul at the time of the Berthouville sanctuary  -- Isabelle Fauduet; title: Heroes, lions, and vandals :; title: four late Roman missoria  -- Ruth Leader-Newby; title: The hidden lives of ancient objects :; title: conserving the Berthouville treasure and four missoria  -- Eduardo Sánchez and Susan Lansing Maish; title: Roman luxury from home to tomb and sanctuary  -- Kenneth Lapatin; title: The Cabinet des médailles :; title: its history and archaeological collections -- Mathilde Avisseau-Broustet and Cécile Colonna.