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  More »

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 god. This unknown deity appears to have been associated with fertility and rebirth The design that adorns the of 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. Carved with an abstract simplicity but an observant eye toward nature, the stark visual appeal of this piece is timeless These seals represent dreams, hopes and aspirations for health, success, and happiness that are a sold as civilization itself. v-(D.0130) Engraved Votive Seal with an Intaglio D.0130 Origin: Lake Van,Anatolia Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BC Dimension1.75(4.4cm) high x 1(2.5cm) wide x 75"(1.9cm) depth Collection: Near Eastern Style:Neolithic Medium: Dickite   « Less

Origin: Sinai, Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 1.375" (3.5cm) high x 3.75" (9.5cm) wide Catalogue: V1 Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Late Dynastic  More »

Origin: Sinai, Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 1.375" (3.5cm) high x 3.75" (9.5cm) wide Catalogue: V1 Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze In a land like Egypt filled with serpents, the Ichneumon-- the sacred mongoose of the Nile-- enjoyed a special status. Swift and clever, he alone was able to outwit the anger of the cobra. A statue like this might have been offered to the mongoose god in return for his protection from snakebite. Though we are perhaps in less danger from such things today, it could hardly hurt to have this charming creature on our side. - (FZ.033)   « Less

Created in the age of David and Solomon, this simple but charming vessel glows with the rich patina of history. Who can say through whose hands it might have passed centuries  More »

Created in the age of David and Solomon, this simple but charming vessel glows with the rich patina of history. Who can say through whose hands it might have passed centuries ago? It was perhaps from such a jug that Samuel anointed Saul king of Israel. Whatever its past, we are aware that it was crafted by ancient hands, held and used by people who lived in a time and place much different from our own. The energy of those vanished lives clings to it still and sets our imaginations stirring. - (P.0382)   « Less

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  More »

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 god. This unknown deity appears to have been associated with fertility and rebirth The design that adorns the of 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. Carved with an abstract simplicity but an observant eye toward nature, the stark visual appeal of this piece is timeless These seals represent dreams, hopes and aspirations for health, success ,and happiness that are as old as civilization itself. v-(D.0132) Engraved Votive Seal with an Intaglio D.0132rigin: Lake Van,Anatolia Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BC Dimension1.75(4.4cm) high x 1(2.5cm) wide x 75"(1.9cm) depth Collection: Near Eastern Style:Neolithic Medium: Dickite   « Less

Created in the age of David and Solomon, this simple but charming vessel glows with the rich patina of history. Who can say through whose hands it might have passed centuries  More »

Created in the age of David and Solomon, this simple but charming vessel glows with the rich patina of history. Who can say through whose hands it might have passed centuries ago? It was perhaps from such a jug that Samuel anointed Saul king of Israel. Whatever its past, we are aware that it was crafted by ancient hands, held and used by people who lived in a time and place much different from our own. The energy of those vanished lives clings to it still and sets our imaginations stirring. - (PF.0111a)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 3.2" (8.1cm) high x 5.5" (14.0cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronze The waters  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 3.2" (8.1cm) high x 5.5" (14.0cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronze The waters of the ancient Nile were full of fish, certain species of which came to be worshipped as gods because it was believed they could suppress evil. In the town of Oxyrhynchus in Upper Egypt, the curve-nose Mormyrus fish was the centre of a large cult that eventually spread widely through the land. According to mythology, the sacred fish figured prominently in the resurrection of the god Osiris and this was one of the reasons for its deification. In this splendid sculpture, the god is shown crowned by the cow horns of Hathor, the sun disc of Ra and the cobra Uraeus. He rests regally atop a sled that may have been used for display at festivals. We sense intuitively his divine status, and that his kingdom is the cosmic rather than the earthly river. - (FZ.277)   « Less

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  More »

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 god. This unknown deity appears to have been associated with fertility and rebirth The design that adorns the of 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. Carved with an abstract simplicity but an observant eye toward nature, the stark visual appeal of this piece is timeless These seals represent dreams, hopes and aspirations for health, success, and happiness that are as old as civilization itself. v-(D.0133) Engraved Votive Seal with an Intaglio D.0133 Origin: Lake Van, Anatolia Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BC Dimension 1.75(4.4cm) high x 1(2.5cm) wide x 75"(1.9cm) depth Collection: Near Eastern Style: Neolithic Medium: Dickite   « Less

Origin: Alexandria, Egypt Circa: 100 AD to 300 AD Dimensions: 1.875" (4.8cm) high x 1.875" (4.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Bronze During  More »

Origin: Alexandria, Egypt Circa: 100 AD to 300 AD Dimensions: 1.875" (4.8cm) high x 1.875" (4.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Bronze During the Roman period in Egypt, there was a tremendous amount of cultural exchange taking place between the long established Egyptian culture and that of their young, powerful conquerors, the Romans. At this point in history, the Egyptians and Romans clearly exchanged ideas about religious iconography and artistic conventions. Roman influence is clear in the addition of Romanized Egyptian deities such as Sarapis, who was a syncretized form of the Egyptian Osiris and Apis with the Greek Zeus and, subsequently, the Roman Jupiter. In all likelihood, this exquisitely detailed head represents either the god Sarapis, Jupiter, or the deified Roman hero Hercules. The face exhibits a serene yet powerful countenance. The curly hair and long curly beard of the god are executed with rich detail, which contrasts sharply with the Egyptian convention of rendering hair into highly stylized patterns. The thick beard is a traditional Greek and Roman artistic convention that signifies that the figure is a mature man who has passed the first flush of youth and passed into adulthood. This extraordinary representation of Roman divinity cannot fail to impress the viewer with its calm majesty. - (FZ.327)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 6.75" (17.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronze This magnificent bronze votive sculpture  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 6.75" (17.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronze This magnificent bronze votive sculpture represents Osiris, god of fertility, king of the dead, and ruler of eternity. Many centuries ago, it might have been found inside a temple, placed as an offering to the mighty deity. He is depicted wrapped as a mummy, holding a crook and flail. These two attributes act as scepters symbolic of his divine authority over the forces of nature. He wears the double plume headdress and a false braided beard with a curved tip. This type of beard is a symbol of divinity while the headdress associates the god with the ruling pharaohs. The legend of Osiris states that his brother Seth, overcome by jealousy, murdered him and tore his body into fourteen parts, scattering them across Egypt. Isis, the faithful wife of Osiris, traversed the land and gathered all the parts of his body. She then cast a spell that resurrected her deceased husband for one night, during which their child, Horus, was conceived. Thus, Osiris was the central figure of Egyptian religion, the god who had triumphed over death and therefore offered the hope of rebirth and resurrection to all men. This striking image of the god in his royal mummiform speaks of a universal mystery, the unanswered questions for which no living man has a sure answer. - (FZ.404)   « Less

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  More »

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 god. This unknown deity appears to have been associated with fertility and rebirth The design that adorns the of 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. Carved with an abstract simplicity but an observant eye toward nature,the stark visual appeal of this piece is timeless These seals represent dreams, hopes and aspirations for health, success, and happiness that are as old as civilization itself. v-(D.0134) Engraved Votive Seal with an Intaglio D.0134 Origin :Lake Van, Anatolia Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BC Dimension1.75(4.4cm) high x 1(2.5cm) wide x 75"(1.9cm) depth Collection: Near Eastern Style: Neolithic Medium: Dickite   « Less