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Orpheus: M.34-1997

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Current Location: In storage

Titles

Orpheus

Maker(s)

Unknown (Uncertain)

Entities

Categories

Description

Bronze standing figure of Orpheus, holding a long-handled stringed instrument in his proper left hand, down by his proper left side. In Greek mythology, Orpheus was a musician, poet and prophet, son of the Thracian king Oeagrus and Muse Calliope. His musical gifts enabled him to enchant wild beasts, birds and fish. Orpheus is frequently depicted with a lyre, the musical instrument which Apollo taught him to play as an adolescent.

Notes

History note: Alfred Spero; sold in 1946 to Lt Col. the Hon. M.T. Boscawen, DSO, MC (invoice date 1 July 1946); bequeathed to his sister, the Hon. Mrs Pamela Sherek

Legal notes

Bequeathed by the Hon. Mrs Pamela Sherek, from the collection of the late Lt. Col. the Hon. M.T. Boscawen, DSO, MC, in his memory

Measurements and weight

Height: 10 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1995) by Sherek, Pamela

Dating

16th Century
Circa 1500 CE - 1600 CE

People, subjects and objects depicted

Project

  • Sculpture UK

Components of the work

Sculpture Depth 3 cm Height 10.1 cm Width 5.5 cm
Plinth Depth 61 cm Height 2.2 cm Width 6.3 cm

Materials used in production

Bronze

Techniques used in production

Casting (process) : Bronze, cast

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: M.34-1997
Primary reference Number: 14034
Old object number: B.35.
External ID: CAM_CCF_M_34_1997

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 29 April 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Orpheus" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/14034 Accessed: 2025-12-05 07:07:59

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/14034 |title=Orpheus |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 07:07:59|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-14034

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<div class="text-center">
    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa20/M_34_1997.jpg"
        alt="Orpheus"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Orpheus</figcaption>
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