The Phoenicians were one of the most important civilisations of the ancient world, and flourished from around 1500 to 300 BC. Their world was centred on Northern Israel,  More »

The Phoenicians were one of the most important civilisations of the ancient world, and flourished from around 1500 to 300 BC. Their world was centred on Northern Israel, Lebanon and Syria, while their sphere of conquest and influence extended throughout the Mediterranean and even beyond the Pillars of Hercules (the Straits of Gibraltar) and into the Mediterranean-Atlantic. Their power was due primarily to their mastery of seamanship – which they developed to a whole new level during their pre-eminence – and extremely well-organised administration which was strengthened by extensive use of the alphabet. Indeed, it was the Phoenicians who introduced the alphabet to the Greeks, who in turn passed it onto the rest of the Western World. They were essentially Canaanites, to whom they were identical in sociocultural and material terms, the only difference being the massive range over which their cultural remains and heritage can be found. Phoenician society was comparatively stable when compared to the changeable fortunes of other Eastern Mediterranean cultures, primarily due to its broad royal, political and religious foundations. The town of Byblos became a major hub for trade all over the Fertile Crescent, followed by Tyre and Sidon; overseas territories notably included Carthage (founded 814 BC), but they either took over or culturally dominated trading ports from Cyprus to Malta, Spain, Portugal and Sardinia. They traded in purple dye (“Tyrian Purple”), textiles, luxury ceramics, silver, tin (with England) and glass, explored down the west coast of Africa as far as the Gulf of Guinea, and may even have circumnavigated Africa in around 600 BC. - (CK.0244)   « Less

Origin: Lebanon Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 6" (15.2cm) high x 18.5" (47.0cm) wide x 5.25" (13.3cm) depth Collection: Biblical Style: Phoenician Medium: Terracotta

Origin: Lebanon Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 6" (15.2cm) high x 18.5" (47.0cm) wide x 5.25" (13.3cm) depth Collection: Biblical Style: Phoenician Medium: Terracotta   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 1.375" (3.5cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This small, delicate faience amulet was  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 1.375" (3.5cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This small, delicate faience amulet was found in a hyksos tomb in Israel and is demonstrative of the degree of influence the Egyptians had on their Asiatic invaders. Frequently, cultures, which came into contact with the ancient Egyptians, borrowed motifs from their artistic repertoire and religious iconography. The unmistakable figure of the god Bes stands at the far right corner of the amulet. Next to him is a figure, which exhibits either feline or canine features, and may be the god Anubis. The falcon headed deity in the center is perhaps the Heliopolitan sun god Ra, the god Horus, or Ra-horakhty. To the left of this central figure are two goddesses with feline features. The figure next to the center may be the goddess Sekhmet, and the deity on the far left is possibly the cat headed Bastet. One can easily imagine the amulet being worn or carried by the owner in order to invoke the protective power of these important and powerful deities to ward off maleficent forces and bring good luck. - (PF.2988)   « Less

Origin: Lebanon Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 13.78" (35.0cm) high x 5" (12.7cm) wide Collection: Biblical Style: Phoenician Medium: Terracotta

Origin: Lebanon Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 13.78" (35.0cm) high x 5" (12.7cm) wide Collection: Biblical Style: Phoenician Medium: Terracotta   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 2.25" (5.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience The multiplicity of gods in the  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 2.25" (5.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience The multiplicity of gods in the polytheistic ancient Egyptian pantheon frequently resulted in the merging of the identities of the different gods into one form. This form existed without negating the identities of any of the gods who were merged. The god Ptah-sokar is an example of this synchronization process. Ptah was the creator god of Memphis (who is frequently depicted as a mummiform man wearing a skull cap) and Sokar, the falcon-headed god of the Memphite necropolis. Because both gods had cult centers in Memphis and were patron gods of artisans, their identities were eventually merged into the syncretized form of Ptah-sokar. This green faience figure shows the god as a naked bow-legged dwarf surrounded with a number of symbolic attributes. The god stands with each foot atop the head of a crocodile, and a falcon is perched on each shoulder. A scarab rests on his head, and a winged goddess who wears the horned-disk headdress of Isis or Hathor protects his back. - (PF.2989)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 2.75" (7.0cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience Thoth was one of the most important gods  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 2.75" (7.0cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience Thoth was one of the most important gods in the Egyptian pantheon. He was believed to be the god of mathematics and writing. He was believed to be the patron god of scribes, and is frequently depicted carrying the writing utensils of a scribe and papyrus. Thoth was also considered to be a god of the moon, and in this incarnation, he is frequently depicted as a baboon. One of the god's most important roles, however, was as the god who leads the souls of the deceased to the hall of Osiris, where the heart of the deceased would be weighed and his or her fate decided. This beautiful faience amulet depicts Thoth in his most common iconographic form, that of an ibis-headed man. The god wears a kilt and strides forward on his left leg, a pose commonly employed in the depiction of standing figures. On his head is an atef crown. His hands are raised to the level of his chest, and he holds an unidentified attribute (perhaps an ibis effigy or a Ma'at feather) in both hands. This amulet was probably worn or carried to invoke the protective powers of the god. - (PF.2990)   « Less

Origin: Lebanon Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 13.75" (34.9cm) high x 3.75" (9.5cm) wide Collection: Biblical Style: Phoenician Medium: Terracotta

Origin: Lebanon Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 13.75" (34.9cm) high x 3.75" (9.5cm) wide Collection: Biblical Style: Phoenician Medium: Terracotta   « Less

Origin: Lebanon Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 11.5" (29.2cm) high x 4.25" (10.8cm) wide Collection: Biblical Style: Phoenician Medium: Terracotta

Origin: Lebanon Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 11.5" (29.2cm) high x 4.25" (10.8cm) wide Collection: Biblical Style: Phoenician Medium: Terracotta   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 1.625" (4.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Steatite The ram was considered sacred to several  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 1.625" (4.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Steatite The ram was considered sacred to several different deities in the Egyptian pantheon. The Theban god Amun was sometimes depicted with a ram's head, and his temple at Karnak is decorated with ram-headed sphinxes. Khnum, the creator god whose cult was centered at elephantine was almost invariably depicted as a man with a ram's head and is frequently shown fashioning mankind from clay on a potter's wheel. Hershef was another ram-headed divinity. The local deity of Heracleopolis magna (near Fayum) who later became a national deity and was identified with both Amun and Horus. This lovely amulet depicts the sacred ram wearing a long wig with two locks hanging down either shoulder and what appears to be a false beard. The legs of the ram are carved in relief, which is a technique evocative of monumental Egyptian sculpture. This amulet was probably worn or carried to invoke the protection of one of the powerful ram-headed deities in the Egyptian pantheon. - (PF.2993)   « Less

Origin: Lebanon Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 15" (38.1cm) high x 4.25" (10.8cm) wide Collection: Biblical Style: Phoenician Medium: Terracotta

Origin: Lebanon Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 15" (38.1cm) high x 4.25" (10.8cm) wide Collection: Biblical Style: Phoenician Medium: Terracotta   « Less