Origin: Lebanon Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 13" (33.0cm) high x 4.75" (12.1cm) wide ollection: Biblical Style: Phoenician Medium: Terracotta

Origin: Lebanon Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 13" (33.0cm) high x 4.75" (12.1cm) wide ollection: Biblical Style: Phoenician Medium: Terracotta   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This amulet is in the form of a statuette of the goddess Taueret. She is  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This amulet is in the form of a statuette of the goddess Taueret. She is represented with the body of a woman and the head of a hippopotamus. In this beautiful figure, she is shown with pendulous breasts and a stomach. In Egyptian mythology, Taueret is not only a fertility goddess, but she is also the protectress of pregnant woman. - (PF.4421)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This beautiful amulet is in the form of a statuette of the god Khnum. He  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This beautiful amulet is in the form of a statuette of the god Khnum. He is represented with a human body and the head of a ram. Khnum was a creator god who created individuals by forming them on his potter's wheel. He is often shown creating the king and his ka (his double, or life force), especially in the eighteenth dynasty (ca. 1550-1070 B.C.) other Egyptian creation myths concerned the creation of the world, and people in general. Khnum, however, was concerned with the creation of the individual people. The various creation myths of ancient Egypt originated in various parts of the country before Egypt was united into one entity. The Egyptians kept all of them because they believed the more viewpoints that one could hold, the better that one could have an understanding of it. - (PF.4422)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This charming amulet is in the form of a seated statuette of the goddess  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Faience This charming amulet is in the form of a seated statuette of the goddess Isis. On her head is a sun disc surrounded by a pair of cow horns. She holds the infant god Horus, who nurses at her breast. In Egyptian myth, Isis is the sister and spouse of Osiris. They are descended from the sun god re through the Heliopolitan ennead. The child of Isis and Osiris, Horus, was embodied in the pharaoh. According to the myth, Seth, the brother of Horus, murdered his father Osiris. In one version, the pieces of Osiris's body were buried throughout Egypt. Isis searched for them and reunited the pieces. The union between Isis and the deceased Osiris produced the child Horus. The living king was identified with Horus, but when he died, he was identified with Osiris, who was king of the netherworld. The deceased king's successor then became the Horus. - (PF.4423)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 750 BC to 250 BC Dimensions: 2.25" (5.7cm) high x 1.125" (2.9cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience Shu was the  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 750 BC to 250 BC Dimensions: 2.25" (5.7cm) high x 1.125" (2.9cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience Shu was the primordial Egyptian god of the atmosphere and of dry winds. The name "Shu" is probably related to the root shu meaning "dry, empty." Shu also seems to be a personification of the sun's rays of light and the glow of the moon. In the Heliopolitan creation myth, Shu was, along with his sister Tefnut, one of the first deities created by the sun god Atum, either from his semen or from the mucus of his nostrils. Shu symbolizes dry air and the force of preservation. Tefnut symbolizes moist or corrosive air that brings about change, creating the concept of time. Shu and Tefnut were also said to be but two halves of one soul, perhaps the earliest recorded example of "soulmates." Tefnut became his consort, giving birth to the sky goddess Nut and the earth god Geb. Shu separated Geb and Nut (heaven and earth) by interposing himself between them. Depicted in human form, often wearing upon his head an ostrich feather (the hieroglyph for his name), holding up the sky with two hands, one supporting it at the place of sunrise, and the other at the place of sunset. This faience sculpture represents Shu kneeling upon one leg, in the act of lifting up with his two hands and the sky with the solar disk in it. Although diminutive in scale, the sculptor has expertly rendered Shu in his divine human form. The only detail lacking is the ostrich plume, displaced by the solar disk. Such a sacrifice reveals the dilemma the artist faced while attempting to represent the god’s attributes while simultaneously creating a balanced and aesthetically pleasing work. Thus, although missing the feather, the artist has successfully conveyed the identity of the god while diminishing none of the artistic qualities that pervade this amulet. - (PF.5796)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1000 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 2.25" (5.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience In early Egyptian religion,  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1000 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 2.25" (5.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience In early Egyptian religion, Anubis was the God of the Dead. However, by the beginning of the Old Kingdom, he was superseded by Osiris. Anubis then became one of the gods of the funerary cult, specifically embalming, and the God of Cemeteries. He helped protect the dead and lead them into the underworld. The Ancient Egyptians believed that when after death, one traveled to the interim realm of the Hall of the Dead. There, Anubis weighed your heart against the feather of Ma'at, the Goddess of Justice. First, he steadied the scales to make the balance was fair. If your heart was heavier than the feather, an ostrich plume, then it was eaten by a demon. If the deceased’s heart was lighter than the feather, Anubis guided them towards Osiris to begin their journey through the underworld. In fact, we continue to speak of "a heart as light as a feather" or "heavy-hearted” even today. This diminutive sculpture of Anubis would have originally been worn as a pendant on a necklace, as is evident from the drilled hole in the back. Most likely, it would have graced the neck of a funerary priest or an ancient mortician responsible for mummifications. The god stands stiffly in a truly archaic posture with his fists clenched and held tightly at his sides. His jackal head sits upon his shoulders as if a mask. Given his significant position in the afterlife, it is especially eerie to consider his large, alert ears and long nose. Clearly this god, the judge of our eternal souls, is aware of all of our earthly successes and failures. He gazes at us without a hint of sympathy or concern. He weighs hearts without pity or remorse, condemning some to damnation and sending others towards the afterlife. - (PF.5794)   « Less

Shaped like an abstract bird, this ancient votive seal was discovered with a cache of similar artifacts along the shores of Lake Van. Evoking the dawn of Western culture,  More »

Shaped like an abstract bird, this ancient votive seal was discovered with a cache of similar artifacts along the shores of Lake Van. Evoking the dawn of Western culture, these apparently were offerings at the shrine of some powerful nature god. The design that adorns them—of birds, animals, seated idols—probably stood in proxy for more costly sacrifices. Pressed into soft clay or wax, they would have created multiple images to win the favor of the god. It is possible that the bird, arecurringmotif, wasassociatedwiththeideaofthesoul.Carvedithabstractsimplicitybutanobservanteyetowardnature,thestarkvisualappealofthispieceistimeless.Thesesealsrepresent dreams, hopes and aspirations for health, success, andhappiness that are as old as civilization itself. - (D.0045)Bird Effigy Votive Seal with Intaglio - D.0045Origin: Lake Van, Anatolia Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BCDimensions: 2" (5.1cm) high x 2.75" (7.0cm) wide Collection: Near Eastern Style: Neolithic Medium: Dickite   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 2.5" (6.4cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Faience Sekhmet, along with her husband the  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 2.5" (6.4cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Faience Sekhmet, along with her husband the creator-god Ptah and their son Nerfertum, was part of the powerful trio of deities that protected Ancient Memphis. She was a sun goddess, embodying the scorching, burning, destructive heat of the sun. Fierce goddess of war, the destroyer of the enemies of Ra and Osiris, she was represented as having the head of a lioness and the body of a female human. Like the sun, her temper was uncontrollable. In the legend of Ra and Hathor, Sekhmet's anger became so great, she would have destroyed all of mankind if Ra had not taken pity on us and made her drunk. This diminutive pendent is a masterpiece of intricacy. Originally, this ancient statuette would have been worn as a pendant hung on a necklace, as is evident from the loop present behind the goddess’s head. She is depicted with the head of a lion and the body of a human wearing a long, close fitting robe. Seated upon an openwork throne, she holds a sistrum, or rattle, in her hand. The features of the lioness are remarkably naturalistic, and yet, at the same time, we can sense the power of her divinity. Perhaps this pendant once graced the neck of a high-ranking official from the city of Memphis. Surely, given the symbolic significance of Sekhmet and the absolute mastery of the carving, this pendant was worn only by an elite member of Ancient Egyptian society. Certain objects, masterpieces treasured in their own time, are of an eternal beauty that is easily appreciated regardless of era or culture. This pendant is one such stunning example; a reminder of the tremendous splendor humanity is able to create when at the apex of a great civilization. - (X.0122)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 400 BC Dimensions: 2" (5.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience Faience, which dates back  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 400 BC Dimensions: 2" (5.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience Faience, which dates back to pre-dynastic times, of at least 5,000 years, is a glasslike non-clay substance made of materials common to Egypt: ground quartz, crushed quartz pebbles, flint, a soluble salt-like baking soda, lime and ground copper, which provided the characteristic color. The dried objects went into kilns looking pale and colorless but emerged a sparkling "Egyptian blue." Called tjehnet by the ancient Egyptians, meaning that which is brilliant or scintillating, faience was thought to be filled with the undying light of the sun, moon and stars and was symbolic of rebirth. Ancient Egyptians believed the small blue-green objects helped prepare them for eternity in the afterlife. Sekhmet, along with her husband the creator- god Ptah and their son Nerfertum, was part of the powerful trio of deities that protected Ancient Memphis. She was a sun goddess, embodying the scorching, burning, destructive heat of the sun. Fierce goddess of war, the destroyer of the enemies of Ra and Osiris, she was represented as having the head of a lioness and the body of a female human. Like the sun, her temper was uncontrollable. In the legend of Ra and Hathor, Sekhmet's anger became so great, she would have destroyed all of mankind if Ra had not taken pity on us and made her drunk.   « Less

Shaped like an abstract bird, this ancient votive seal was discovered with a cache of similar artifacts along the shores of Lake Van. Evoking the dawn of Western culture,  More »

Shaped like an abstract bird, this ancient votive seal was discovered with a cache of similar artifacts along the shores of Lake Van. Evoking the dawn of Western culture, these apparently were offerings at the shrine of some powerful nature god. The design that adorns them—of birds, animals, seated idols—probably stood in proxy for more costly sacrifices. Pressed into soft clay or wax, they would have created multiple images to win the favor of the god. It is possible that the bird, arecurringmotif, wasassociatedwiththeideaofthesoul.Carvedithabstractsimplicitybutanobservanteyetowardnature,thestarkvisualappealofthispieceistimeless.Thesesealsrepresent dreams, hopes and aspirations for health, success, andhappiness that are as old as civilization itself. - (D.0045)Bird Effigy Votive Seal with Intaglio - D.0045Origin: Lake Van, Anatolia Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BCDimensions: 2" (5.1cm) high x 2.75" (7.0cm) wide Collection: Near Eastern Style: Neolithic Medium: Dickite   « Less