Roman Gold Amulet Of Baubo, Roman Imperial, 1st - 2nd Century CE

Female figure of Baubo naked except for headdress, with both hands raised to face level.

In Greek myth, Baubo was a goddess of childbirth and fecundity, a ribald character symbolising humour and light-heartedness in the face of trouble, as well as sympathetic female bonds. When Demeter's daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades, the lord of Hell, Demeter desperately searched for her. Exhausted and dispirited, Demeter rested at Eleusis, where she was entertained by Baubo with some lewd jokes and lascivious dancing. 'Thereupon', Freud writes, 'Baubo made (Demeter) laugh by suddenly lifting up her dress and exposing her body.'

Baubo is a wild, unrestrained being who represents aspects of the feminine that are both confronting and profound.

Condition: Intact and in excellent condition overall

Provenance: Private Swiss collection, acquired prior to 1972.