Occasionally, a charm or amulet that has enormous power and magic for one culture or time will be mysterious or harmless for another. Where the Egyptians attached great  More »

Occasionally, a charm or amulet that has enormous power and magic for one culture or time will be mysterious or harmless for another. Where the Egyptians attached great importance to the scarab, the Greeks might have seen only a species of desert beetle. Yet every culture great and small makes use of such talismans for protection and to bring good luck. This unusual charm was carved by one of the early peoples of the upper Euphrates valley. Its iconography is uncertain, but it appears to depict a bird perched atop some sort of egg. Its meaning has been lost in the mists of time, but surely its magic remains strong and powerful. - (PF.1938)Mesopotamian Stone Amulet - PF.1938Origin: Northern Syria Circa: 3000 BC to 2000 BCDimensions: 1" (2.5cm) high x .5" (1.3cm) wide x .625" (1.6cm) depth Collection: Near Eastern Style: Mesopotamian Medium: Stone   « Less

For thousands of years, since before recorded history, man has worn amulets and talismans for luck and protection. The stones, feathers, teeth and claws that adorned early  More »

For thousands of years, since before recorded history, man has worn amulets and talismans for luck and protection. The stones, feathers, teeth and claws that adorned early cultures eventually gave way to an array of amulets whose powers where as varied as their forms. This splendid little token represents the head of a bull, a creature symbolic of strength, power, and virility, the favorite animal of many male gods. The reddish hue of the stone suggests it may have supplied its wearer with courage and protection in battle. Carved with abstract simplicity, it makes a timeless appeal to the senses. - (PF.1937)Mesopotamian Stone Amulet of a Bull's Head - PF.1937Origin: Northern Syria Circa:3000BCto2000BCDimensions:0.5" (1.3cm) high x 0.625" (1.6cm) wide x 0.75" (1.9cm) depth Collection: Near Eastern Style: Mesopotamian Medium: Stone   « Less

Islamic Glass Bottle - AMD.116, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 700 AD to 1000 AD, Dimensions: 3.1" (7.9cm) high x 1.7" (4.3cm) wide, Collection: Islamic, Style:  More »

Islamic Glass Bottle - AMD.116, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 700 AD to 1000 AD, Dimensions: 3.1" (7.9cm) high x 1.7" (4.3cm) wide, Collection: Islamic, Style: Blown/Tooled/Cut, Medium: Glass, This globular bottle has a long tapering neck that terminates in a splayed hexagonal opening. The low foot flares out slightly towards the bottom. The main decoration consists of a single row of large shallow circles.   « Less

For thousands of years, since before recorded history, man has worn amulets and talismans for luck and protection. The stones, feathers, teeth and claws that adorned early  More »

For thousands of years, since before recorded history, man has worn amulets and talismans for luck and protection. The stones, feathers, teeth and claws that adorned early cultures eventually gave way to an array of amulets whose powers where as varied as their forms. This splendid little token represents the head of a bull, a creature symbolic of strength, power, and virility, the favorite animal of many male gods. The reddish hue of the stone suggests it may have supplied its wearer with courage and protection in battle. Carved with abstract simplicity, it makes a timeless appeal to the senses. - (PF.1937)Mesopotamian Stone Amulet of a Bull's Head - PF.1937Origin: Northern Syria Circa:3000BCto2000BCDimensions:0.5" (1.3cm) high x 0.625" (1.6cm) wide x 0.75" (1.9cm) depth Collection: Near Eastern Style: Mesopotamian Medium: Stone   « Less

Since the dawn of time, mankind has sought to gain protection and good fortune from talismans and amulets. Such tokens may invoke the blessings of the gods, avert the evil  More »

Since the dawn of time, mankind has sought to gain protection and good fortune from talismans and amulets. Such tokens may invoke the blessings of the gods, avert the evil eye, or bring victory in battle. Thoughout the long course of civilization, amulets have lent their wearers a sense of security and power. This fascinating artifact was carved by one of the cultures that flourished near the source of the Euphrates river. It represents three wide-eyed human heads, facing in different directions as if in vigilant search for approaching evil. Ever alert, it was intended to keep whoever wore it safe from unseen danger. Even in an age that discounts superstition, it cannot hurt to havesuchprotection,testedandprovenbythecenturies(PF.1933Mesopotamian Three Headed Stone Amulet PF.1933Origin:Northern Syria Circa:3000BCto2000BCDimensions: .625" (1.6cm) high x 1.25" (3.2cm) wide Collection: Near Eastern Style: Mesopotamian Medium: Stone   « Less

For thousands of years, since before recorded history, man has worn amulets and talismans for luck and protection. The stones, feathers, teeth and claws that adorned early  More »

For thousands of years, since before recorded history, man has worn amulets and talismans for luck and protection. The stones, feathers, teeth and claws that adorned early cultures eventually gave way to an array of amulets whose powers where as varied as their forms. This splendid little token represents the head of a bull, a creature symbolic of strength, power, and virility, the favorite animal of many male gods. The reddish hue of the stone suggests it may have supplied its wearer with courage and protection in battle. Carved with abstract simplicity, it makes a timeless appeal to the senses. - (PF.1937)Mesopotamian Stone Amulet of a Bull's Head - PF.1937Origin: Northern Syria Circa:3000BCto2000BCDimensions:0.5" (1.3cm) high x 0.625" (1.6cm) wide x 0.75" (1.9cm) depth Collection: Near Eastern Style: Mesopotamian Medium: Stone   « Less

Islamic Glass Vase - AMD.237, Origin: Syria, Circa: 600 AD to 800 AD, Dimensions: 3.1" (7.9cm) high x 2.7" , (6.9cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Free Blown/Applied  More »

Islamic Glass Vase - AMD.237, Origin: Syria, Circa: 600 AD to 800 AD, Dimensions: 3.1" (7.9cm) high x 2.7" , (6.9cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Free Blown/Applied Decoration, Medium: Glass, Condition: Extra Fine, This globular vase has a short neck with a flared opening. The surface of the piece is wonderfully tactile and inventive. The craftsman has applied a thick thread around the upper part of the body and pincered it to create a crinkled effect. Circles and irregular 'star' like motifs have been applied across the spherical surface of the body. The surface is entirely weathered resulting in an opaque pale brown coating.   « Less

Islamic Glass Perfume Bottle - AMD.238, Origin: Jericho, Circa: 800 AD to 1000 AD, Dimensions: 2.3" (5.8cm) high x 1.1" (2.8cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style:  More »

Islamic Glass Perfume Bottle - AMD.238, Origin: Jericho, Circa: 800 AD to 1000 AD, Dimensions: 2.3" (5.8cm) high x 1.1" (2.8cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Mold-Blown/Cut, Medium: Glass. Small cut glass bottles with bold geometric designs were popular throughout the Islamic world between the ninth and tenth centuries. Facet-cutting was a technique first employed for luxury wares during the Sassanian period, where it was used predominantly for hemispherical bowls. During the Islamic era it was employed on a wider variety of vessels, especially tall globular bottles where it was used to create a 'honeycomb' effect. In this example the technique is used with withstraint for a band of large rectangular facets around the neck. Each of the four sides of the body have a series of rectangles outlined in relief. The basic shape of the bottle would have been created using a mold, but the geometric motifs were added when the glass was cold by grinding away parts of the surface with a cutting tool.   « Less

For thousands of years, since before recorded history, man has worn amulets and talismans for luck and protection. The stones, feathers, teeth and claws that adorned early  More »

For thousands of years, since before recorded history, man has worn amulets and talismans for luck and protection. The stones, feathers, teeth and claws that adorned early cultures eventually gave way to an array of amulets whose powers where as varied as their forms. This splendid little token represents the head of a bull, a creature symbolic of strength, power, and virility, the favorite animal of many male gods. The reddish hue of the stone suggests it may have supplied its wearer with courage and protection in battle. Carved with abstract simplicity, it makes a timeless appeal to the senses. - (PF.1937)Mesopotamian Stone Amulet of a Bull's Head - PF.1937Origin: Northern Syria Circa:3000BCto2000BCDimensions:0.5" (1.3cm) high x 0.625" (1.6cm) wide x 0.75" (1.9cm) depth Collection: Near Eastern Style: Mesopotamian Medium: Stone   « Less

Islamic Glass Bottle (Sprinkler) - AMD.276, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1000 AD to 1100 AD, Dimensions: 6" (15.2cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Mold Blown/Applied  More »

Islamic Glass Bottle (Sprinkler) - AMD.276, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1000 AD to 1100 AD, Dimensions: 6" (15.2cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Mold Blown/Applied Decoration, Medium: Glass. This bottle has a rounded irregular ledge rim, a long neck widening towards the bottom, a slopping shoulder, a squat globular body, and a concave disk base. Trails wounds spirals four times around the neck. Around the base of the neck is an undulating trail in the same colour as the sprinkler. The trail was a very common form of decoration used to decorate bottles of this type. It was believed that it may have served to make the vessel easier to hold. The body is decorated with cartouches of arabesque nature. The surface of the vessel is partly weathered, resulting in a pale brown patina.   « Less