Medallion: Two Birds Drinking
maker
Unknown
Date12th century - 13th century
Place MadeVenice, Veneto, Italy, Europe
MediumStone
Dimensions30.5 cm (12 in.)
ClassificationsArchitectural Elements
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberS30w13
eMuseum ID717395
Original Numberright of T30w4
Previous Number368
EmbARK ObjectID19470
TMS Source ID6802
Last Updated8/14/24
Status
Not on viewWeb CommentaryIsabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.
BibliographyNotesGilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), p. 42. (on the similar medallions in the courtyard, as 12th-13th century, Venetian)
Walter Cahn. "Romanesque Sculpture in American Collections. IV. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston." Gesta (1969), pp. 56-59, no. 14. (on the similar medallions the courtayrd)
Cornelius C. Vermeule III et al. Sculpture in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 1977), pp. 64-66, no. 93. (on the courtyard medallions)
Alan Chong et al. (eds.) Eye of the Beholder: Masterpieces from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 2003), p. 29. (on the courtyard medallions)
Walter Cahn. "Romanesque Sculpture in American Collections. IV. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston." Gesta (1969), pp. 56-59, no. 14. (on the similar medallions the courtayrd)
Cornelius C. Vermeule III et al. Sculpture in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 1977), pp. 64-66, no. 93. (on the courtyard medallions)
Alan Chong et al. (eds.) Eye of the Beholder: Masterpieces from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 2003), p. 29. (on the courtyard medallions)
ProvenanceNotesBeginning in September of 1897, Isabella Stewart Gardner purchased many pieces of Venetian relief sculpture and architectural elements in anticipation of the creation of her museum. These purchases included many marble medallions or 'paterae.' These medallions were all purchased in Venice, the majority coming from the dealers Francesco Dorigo and Moisé dalla Torre and several more from art dealers Antonio Marcato and Dino Barozzi. Gardner installed at least one of her medallions in the Conservatory at Green Hill, her home in Brookline, by about 1900, and 38 were installed in the Courtyard of Fenway Court by 1902. Four additional medallions were installed in the west wall of her Gothic Room on the third floor of the museum. These were possibly purchased with the facade that houses them from Moisé dalla Torre, Venice for 1,800 lire on 26 September 1899.
