A glass Gem Depicting a Dying Niobid From the National Museum in Warsaw

The National Museum in Warsaw holds a diverse collection of glass gems, both ancient and modern. One of these, a specimen depicting a dying Niobid supported by his sister, belongs to a wider group of objects scattered throughout various European museums. Such gems were mainly produced during the 1st century BC and their decoration is derived from a fragment of a relief carved by Pheidias on the statue of Zeus in Olympia which portrays the massacre of the Niobids. The fact that these gems were made of glass indicates that objects with such decorations were appreciated and popular. The myth of Niobe, in both Greek and Roman art, served multiple purposes highlighted by the choice of the story’s motives most often used in decorations. However, the reason for the use of this particular fragment of Pheidias’s relief to decorate gems as well as their popularity require additional explanation.