Jupiter Belus thumbnail 1
Not on display

Jupiter Belus

Medallion
ca. 1750 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Italy (made)

The bust of the god is shown bearded wearing a toga, facing right. The medallion is inscribed 'BELUS. JUPITER'. The border is decorated with egg and dart motifs. Jupiter Belus is a translation of the Babylonian god Bel Marduk. The style indicates it was made in Italy, loosely based on classical prototypes.

Object details

Categories
Medallions
Myths & Legends
Portraits
Object type
Medallion
TitleJupiter Belus (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Carved ivory
Ivory
Brief description
Medallion, ivory, of Jupiter Belus, Italian, ca. 1750
Physical description
The bust of the god is shown bearded wearing a toga, facing right. The medallion is inscribed. The border is decorated with egg and dart motifs.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 5.9cm
Marks and inscriptions
'BELUS. JUPITER' ( )
Transliteration
Jupiter Belus is a translation of the Babylonian god Bel Marduk
Object history
Bought for £10, along with Mus. no. A.4-1928, at Sotheby's, London, 9 February 1928, lot 38.
Subject depicted
Bel Marduk
Summary
The bust of the god is shown bearded wearing a toga, facing right. The medallion is inscribed 'BELUS. JUPITER'. The border is decorated with egg and dart motifs. Jupiter Belus is a translation of the Babylonian god Bel Marduk. The style indicates it was made in Italy, loosely based on classical prototypes.
Bibliographic references
  • Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory. London: Published under the Authority of the Board of Education, 1929, Part II, p. 106
  • Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, cat. no. 307, pp. 311, 12
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.5-1928

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdMarch 4, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O198259/jupiter-belus-medallion-unknown/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest