Hairpin Medallion with Goddess Tanit

Place of OriginEgypt

DateRoman Period, 1st century BCE - 4th century CE

DimensionsH: 7/8 in. (2.2 cm)

Mediumglass

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.368

Not on View

DescriptionOval hairpin medallion in translucent cobalt blue glass, molded in relief with a female head framed by thick, symmetrical curls. The same image appears on both sides, though one side is significantly broken.

Label TextThese small glass medallions once adorned the ends of ancient hairpins, and would have been attached to bronze needles. Molded in relief, each medallion features a human head framed by thick curls that spill symmetrically around the face. The female heads—like those on 1923.368 and 1923.369—are typically interpreted as the goddess Tanit, a central deity in Punic religion associated with fertility and protection. The male heads on 1923.370 and 1923.371, featuring curled beards and mustaches, likely represent Baal-Hammon or Melqart, two major Phoenician gods. These figures may also evoke a divine triad known across the Phoenician and Punic world. Hairpin medallions like these were most commonly produced in dark blue glass and are often linked to Punic centers such as Carthage. However, examples have been found across the Mediterranean, from North Africa and the Levant to Sicily, Sardinia, and even Greece. Worn in the hair, these objects served both as personal adornment and as protective emblems.Comparative ReferencesCf. Arveiller-Dulong, Véronique; Nenna, Marie-Dominique, Les verres antiques du Musée du Louvre. III, Parures, instruments et éléments d’incrustation, Paris, Somogy éditions d’art / Musée du Louvre, 2011, pp. 301-304, nos. 481-488.