The lion is a symbol of strength and ferocity. The largest of the cat family, this animal is known as the “king of the beasts.” Lions are equally feared and  More »

The lion is a symbol of strength and ferocity. The largest of the cat family, this animal is known as the “king of the beasts.” Lions are equally feared and respected for their power, speed, and intimidating growl. Kings and rulers have long associated themselves with this noble creature. The majesty of this bronze masterpiece is befitting of such a noble creature. Alas the animal has been sculpted with the attention to detail and expression usually only reserved for the finest portraiture. The execution of the mane is especially stunning. Furry locks fall in waves wrapping around his head. The classic posture of the beast is akin to the Sphinx, lying flat on his belly with his front paws extended. Great care has also been taken to convey the facial features of his head. His jaw, slightly ajar, and flaring nostrils hint at the fierce power of this creature. Alas, in the presence of this magnificent sculpture we are in awe of both the power of the beast and the expertise of the artist. - (FZ.342)   « Less

The original purpose of this charming vessel is unknown, though it may have held a place among the perfumes and cosmetics of a fashionable woman. With its functional duties  More »

The original purpose of this charming vessel is unknown, though it may have held a place among the perfumes and cosmetics of a fashionable woman. With its functional duties enriched by beauty of form, the ancient flask continues to delight us after all these centuries. The pleasure that unites with its original owner is almost tangible. - (GF.0009)   « Less

The joyous message adorning this rare cup was perhaps meant to cheer the guests at some ancient banquet. "Live happy in the moment," it seems to say, "the future is  More »

The joyous message adorning this rare cup was perhaps meant to cheer the guests at some ancient banquet. "Live happy in the moment," it seems to say, "the future is uncertain, as fragile as glass." Time has in no way lessened the truth of the message: though centuries have passed since those wise words were molded into glass, the present is all we ever have for sure and we should delight in it. - (GF.0044)   « Less

Septimius Severus is known as the principle and primary agent in the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. His firm and militant hand tore out the final props of the  More »

Septimius Severus is known as the principle and primary agent in the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. His firm and militant hand tore out the final props of the Senate’s power, and the last validation of its pride. After his prosperous, though brief reign, Rome was doomed to be terrorized by a succession of worthless leaders and greedy soldiers, the effects of which, she would never completely recover from. But posterity seems to forget that since the age of the Antonines, unruly senators and apathetic emperors, dissolved by faction, allowed the funds dedicated to the pursuit of Roman art and public works to dissolve into a tangle of bureaucracy and extortion. It was the same hand that obliterated the senate that restored the votive arts to their coveted place in society, and the original splendor of their craftsmanship. In the words of Gibbon, “Severus was passionately addicted to the vain studies of magic and divination.” It was for this reason that he so meticulously restored the funding of the temples, the salaries of the artisans, and the dignity of the artists. He was ever wary of under- serving the Gods, and ever frightened of their disapproval. In this exquisitely subtle and detailed piece of glasswork, we can clearly see the anxious piety of the Emperor. His eyes glance upwards, wide and mystified under the reach of a perplexed brow. His cheeks are lined with infinitesimal wrinkles, that curve around his lips and play into his beard. Sometimes, rarely, a work of art both beautiful and sensitive, crafted with masterful skill, causes us to expand our perceptions of the world that created it. In the presence of great art, blending talent and vision, we marvel at the infinite heights to which the imagination aspires. We wonder who shaped it and for what patron, what pride each felt in the finished object, what emotions it stirred in others. This miniature portrait of sea-colored glass is such a treasure. Carved with superb detail, majestic yet with a trace of apprehension, it possesses the emotional power of works on a much larger scale. Its perfection suggests it came from an imperial workshop; perhaps the gift of the emperor himself to some favored courtier. A masterpiece of the glassmaker's art, it delights and awes the senses today as it surely did when Rome was in her glory. - (GF.0250)   « Less

This elegant woman was once a votive gift to the gods of pagan Rome. We can imagine that the person who placed this offering at some ancient shrine was a woman not unlike the  More »

This elegant woman was once a votive gift to the gods of pagan Rome. We can imagine that the person who placed this offering at some ancient shrine was a woman not unlike the sculpted one. What did she wish for so long ago? Health, good fortune and happiness? What person today--even after the passage of centuries--could wish for anything different from life? - (P.0213)   « Less

This sensitive portrayal of a middle-aged man whose features are touched by time and experience is certainly a portrait from life. Who is this individual who seems to regard  More »

This sensitive portrayal of a middle-aged man whose features are touched by time and experience is certainly a portrait from life. Who is this individual who seems to regard the world with a benevolent skepticism? Is he some high-ranking official, a magistrate or senator, or simply some successful private citizen of the Roman Empire? When we look upon his face, we feel able to communicate directly with a man who lived centuries before our time. - (P.3360)   « Less

Frequently the decorative scheme of a sarcophagus was selected from a pattern book with specific attributes of the patron in mind. the winged Eros, god of love, shown here  More »

Frequently the decorative scheme of a sarcophagus was selected from a pattern book with specific attributes of the patron in mind. the winged Eros, god of love, shown here holding a wedding wreath, is very possibly a reference to the married status of the woman whose tomb it probably was. The dropped torch most likely alludes to the marriage ritual, in which the new bride was accompanied by a torch-bearing procession. It is less clear to whom the fragmentary leg belonged, though perhaps it was a winged figure holding a portrait of the deceased. In antiquity, people often chose their own sarcophagus years before they needed it. We might guess that this playful Cupid is the choice of the woman herself, who is otherwise long-forgotten save for this charming clue to her life. - (PF.0003)   « Less

The sensitive rendering of this portrait makes it a masterpiece under any circumstances. Though Vitellius only reigned for a matter of months in the turmoil following the  More »

The sensitive rendering of this portrait makes it a masterpiece under any circumstances. Though Vitellius only reigned for a matter of months in the turmoil following the fall of Nero, this image of a plump, middle-aged man is consistent with his known portraits. Its introspective, slightly melancholy mood reminds us that even emperors are human, leaving us to ponder the whims of history, the lessons of the past. - (PF.0013)   « Less

This complete and virtually intact group statuette depicts the goddess Venus standing on a two- tiered integral base. Her garment is draped around her lower thighs and held  More »

This complete and virtually intact group statuette depicts the goddess Venus standing on a two- tiered integral base. Her garment is draped around her lower thighs and held in place with her left hand just to the side of her pubic triangle. The garment billows out behind the legs of the goddess in a form evocative of a sea shell, reminding all that Venus arose full-grown from the foam of the sea on the shores of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Her hair is elaborately coiffed and adorned with a headdress, cascading to her shoulders. She holds an apple in her raised right hand, emblematic of her first place in the beauty contest judged by Paris in which she defeated two other goddesses. She is flanked on one side by Eros, who stands on an integral base but one that is separated from that of Venus.It is interesting to note the profusion of statuettes of Venus recovered from Roman sites in both Jordan and Syria. The popularity of this goddess in those areas is to be understood as the survival of the cult of the mother goddess of more remote times whose hold on the area was so iron-clad that it could not be readily released. That remote cult of the mother goddess emphasized her characteristics of fecundity couched in terms of human, female sexuality. By the time of the Roman Imperial Period, that sexuality was transformed into the most erotic and salacious depictions of the goddess.   « Less

This vessel was created in the characteristically red fabric for which Roman potters showed a great predilection. Its design is such that the broad expanse of the shoulder  More »

This vessel was created in the characteristically red fabric for which Roman potters showed a great predilection. Its design is such that the broad expanse of the shoulder provides an ample field for the attachment of the six relief appliqués. The fabric and technique used for the creation of this vessel were extremely popular in the early Roman Imperial Period as examples of so-called Arrentine ware attest. With the passage of time, the techniques of the Arrentine potters were transformed to meet the demands of potters working as far west as Gaul and as far east as the Anatolian peninsula. The vessel under discussion represents the creation of just such a potter working in Central Gaul in the second century AD. The six relief appliqués depict amorous couples engaged in an array of positions, many of which can be paralleled by depictions either on other vases or in other media. The Romans were not averse to celebrating the carnal pleasures of the flesh enjoyed by heterosexual couples, as the subject matter of these appliqués clearly demonstrates. The purpose of such scenes was to titillate and, in some cases, to demonstrate the desire of a particular client when frequenting one of the houses of ill-repute for which Roman cities were famous. In such a case, these scenes appear to have served as visual answers to the question, “What is your pleasure, sir?” References: Catherine Jones, Sex or Symbol. Erotic Images of Greece and Rome (Austin 1982), pages 125-130, for a discussion of vessels of this type and their decoration and meaning. - (PF.0096)   « Less