The Gallery of Antiquities of Cimmerian Bosporus
Konstantine Ukhtomsky
1857
Watercolour
Hall of Ancient Glyptics
Hall 120
Photo 2022
The large number of bronze artefacts kept in this room brought it the name "Cabinet of Small Bronze Items". Besides that, the room is used to display archaeological "rarities": Byzantine silver bowls, fragments of mosaic, thumb rings from the Golden Horde (worn for protection when shooting arrows from a bow), dice and a gold scabbard from the time of the Ancient Iranian Sassanid dynasty (3rd-7th century A.D.)The hall contains several items from the ancient city of Pompeii. The story of their arrival in the museum is quite interesting. In 1845 Nicholas I visited Naples aboard the steamer Kamchatka. Special excavations were carried out in Pompeii in honour of the exalted guest. The King of Naples made a present to the Emperor of all the items excavated in his presence. Thus the Hermitage acquired some remarkable bronze scales bearing a miniature portrait of Caligula.