The Danicourt collection of gems in Péronne
In 1874 Alfred Danicourt, collector of works of art and antiquities, created a municipal museum for his collection in Péronne. There it grew with a variety of gifts and legacies. At the beginning of the First World War the smaller and more precious objects were boxed and hidden, while the other contents of the museum were destroyed by bombardment and theft in 1917. After the war the museum was reopened with what was still surviving of the old collection, but in 1939 the most precious objects had again to be hidden for safety. In 1955 the museum was installed in the Town Hall, where it remains as a splendid display for the public (see http://www.ville-peronne.fr/index.php/fre/Culture/Musee-Alfred-Danicourt).
In 1967, at the invitation of the Mayor of Péronne and with the assistance of the Curator, M. Jean Baradat, J.Boardman and R.L. Wilkins visited Péronne and were able to study and photograph the collection of gems in two articles: Revue Archéologique (=RA) 1970, 3-8, and 1971, 195-214; expressing the intention of publishing the others at a later date. This has not been done until this presentation of the whole collection on this website.
The collection is small but choice. It contains one of the first recorded Mycenaean gold rings and several exceptionally fine Phoenician, Etruscan, Greek and Roman intaglios and cameos. It is published here with the 1967 photographs, in the form of a handlist rather than a catalogue raisonée, to apprise scholars of its contents. Measurements are in mm, giving the face of each stone first.
I am indebted to Martin Henig for most helpful comments and corrections to the following summary catalogue.
Feb 2003 John Boardman
Index of Subjects
To view the Catalogue select any of the following subject headings:
