Arrabona - Múzeumi közlemények 39/1-2. (Győr, 2001)

Tanulmányok - Gesztelyi Tamás: A győri Xántus János Múzeum gemmagyűjteménye

ARRABONA39.2001. TANULMÁNYOK ZWIERLEIN-DIEHL, E. 1992 Magische Amulette und andere Gemmen des Instituts für Altertumskunde der Universität zu Köln. Opladen. Xanten 1987 Platz-Horster, G. Die antiken Gemmen aus Xanten. Köln-Bonn 1987; II. Köln-Bonn 1994. Zalau 1973 Teposu-Marinescu, L. - Lakó, É. Catalogul colectiei de gerne romane. Zalau 1973. ZAZOFF, P. 1983 Die antiken Gemmen. Handbuch der Archäologie. München 1983. Gesztelyi Tamás: The Gern Collection of Xántus János Museum in Győr The gem collection was established from the middle of the 19th century, initiation of Rómer Flóris, teacher of the Saint Benedictine Order's Grammar School, until 1949 when the archaeological collection was taken into the national ownership. Most of the Roman objects are from cemeteries of the former Arrabona on the territory of Győr and from the surroundings of the town. Three of the gems (Cat.1-3.) got to the collection from the Dalmatian Spalato. Shaping of two gems among these (Cat. 2-3.) shows close relationship with the gems of the Officina dei Dioscuri in Aquileia. Apart from the similarities, differences in the material, shape and forming the figures represent, that even if they are from the same workshop, there must have been a couple of decades between the date of manufacture. In the case of the next two pieces (Cat.4-5.) which are from the early period of the Roman Empire according to the topic of the depiction and shape of the ring, the findspot is unknown. A jasper demonstrating a hunt dog (Cat.6.) was found in the layer from the turn of the 2nd and 3rd centuries during the excavation carried out in the area of the canabae situated under the downtown of Győr, however the gem itself is at least from a century earlier age and of Aquileia origin as well. The silver ring (Cat. 7), on the stone of which a stableboy can be seen with horses are from a grave from the late Roman Age, the ring could have been prepared in the first half of the 3rd century, while the nicolo in it is from the turn of the lst-2nd century. The nicolo paste manufactured in mass quantity in the decades around the turn of the 2nd/3rd centuries is represented with two gems in the collection (Cat.8-9.), one of them is of Brigetio origin. Place of manufacture could have been the area of Rhine, but a large quantity of them got into Pannónia as well. The only magic gem of the collection (Cat 10.) - which is from the surroundings of Győr - rises above the other negligently manufactured pieces of this genre with its size, easily recognisable depiction and legible inscription. The depiction and the inscription is related to eternal life and the Sun providing this kind of life. From the second half of the third century gem carving became insignificant, and rings were decorated with goldsmith's pieces of work: smooth surface of the golden rings are replaced with waving and curved forms of the animal, plant and geometric patterns, sometime filigree work (opus interrasile) was applied. Three extremely beautiful pieces represent this group (Cat. 11-13.) from Győr and its surroundings verifying the existence of a well-off layer at this part of Pannónia around the 3rd-4th centuries. A specific type of glass-cameos meant cheap replacement of the gems. A significant feature of these: two parallel channels are running along the internal part of the cameos, therefore they used them strung on two threads. The pieces of Győr (Cat.14-15.) remained on necklaces of graves from the migration period, as secondary use. 154