Notae Numismaticae - Zapiski Numizmatyczne (3/4.1999)

TOM m/w

KRAKÓW 1999

\0TAE MJMISMATICAE

ZAPISKI NUMIZMATYCZNE

JOACHIM ŚLIWA

Institute of Archaeology, Jagiellonian University
Cracow

THREE MAGICAL GEMS WITH REPRESENTATIONS
OF CHNOUBIS FROM THE COLLECTION
OF KONSTANTY SCHMIDT-CIĄŻYŃSKI

In 1886, the National Museum in Cracow enriched its holdings with
an interesting collection of glyptics donated by Konstanty Schmidt-
-Ciążyński (1817-1889).1 In the latter half of the nineteenth century, he
was the owner of a significant collection of artworks, among which were
a large number of antiąue gems and cameos. The collection added to
the holdings of the National Museum in Cracow included, to be precise,
2,517 uncommonly valuable examples of this branch of artistic crafts-
manship.2 Among the antiąuities should be mentioned Mesopotamian

1 For a history and characterization of the collection, and a discussion of its creator, see
J. Śliwa, „Konstanty Schmidt-Ciążyński (1817-1889). Zapomniany kolekcjoner i znawca starożytnej
gliptyki", Meander 43 (1988), 437-451. For basie biographical information see also Polski
Słownik Biograficzny 35 (1994), p. 554 (J. Śliwa).

2 Initially, the Schmidt-Ciążyński gem collection was kept in the Department of Numi-
smatics, where it remained for many years. Unfortunately, however, the gems were there

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