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 inproxy 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.0136) Engraved Votive Seal withan Intaglio D.0136Origin: 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

Khnum, the creator god, represented as a ram headed man, is one of the oldest deities in the Ancient Egyptian pantheon. His name means: “to create.” He was the  More »

Khnum, the creator god, represented as a ram headed man, is one of the oldest deities in the Ancient Egyptian pantheon. His name means: “to create.” He was the creator of all things that are and all things that shall be. He created the gods and he fashioned mankind on a potter’s wheel. A water god, he was closely associated with the annual flooding of the Nile, and thus intimately interlinked with the life-nourishing harvest that made the desert terrain habitable. This sculpture of Khnum represents the god in his animal form. Here he is not a human with the head of a ram, but an entire ram. The modeling of the head is especially impressive. The sculptor carefully crafted the forms of the pointed ears that protrude from the semicircular projecting horns. The facial structure of the ram, including the flat, hooked nose so characteristic of the creature, is extremely naturalistic. So how do we know this is Khnum and not just an ordinary, albeit noticeably beautiful, ram? There is the fragment of the crown of Upper Egypt on the top of his head. This symbol, in its original state, would have been clearly recognizable to Ancient Egyptians and would have revealed the divine nature of this creature. Today, this piece remains a striking work of art as gorgeous as the day it was cast. - (PF.5777)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 400 BC Dimensions: 6.5" (16.5cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze This magnificent bronze votive  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 400 BC Dimensions: 6.5" (16.5cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period 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 atef crown, featuring a Uraeus cobra and a pair of undulating ribbed ram’s horns, 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. - (X.0135)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 6 th Century BC to 4 th Century BC Dimensions: 9.75" (24.8cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze This magnificent  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 6 th Century BC to 4 th Century BC Dimensions: 9.75" (24.8cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze This magnificent bronze votive sculpture (mounted and restored) 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 a double-plumbed atef crown, featuring a uraeus cobra slithering down the front and a pair of undulating ribbed ram’s horns emerging from the sides, 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. - (X.0304)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 7.125" (18.1cm) high x 2.2" (5.6cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Egyptian Medium: Bronze Osiris, the god and judge  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 7.125" (18.1cm) high x 2.2" (5.6cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Egyptian Medium: Bronze Osiris, the god and judge of the dead, is depicted in his traditional, mummiform pose enveloped in a shroud from which his arms protrude. These are crossed at the wrists over his chest, with his hands holding a crook and flail respectively. These attributes suggest that the origins of Osiris lay in the agricultural and pastoral pursuits of the early ancient Egyptians who used the flail to thresh grain and the crook to shepherd their flocks. He wears the White Crown of Upper Egypt which is fronted by a uraeus, or sacred cobra. These serpents were believed not to have eye lids and were employed as eternal, vigilant protectors of gods and kings because the Egyptians believed that they never closed their eyes to sleep. This Osiris is also shown wearing a false beard, generally identified as that of a goat because the ancient Egyptians, like the Greeks and Romans after them, believed that the goat was one of the most sexually prolific of animals. This characteristic enabled Osiris to know Isis posthumously, fathering their son, Horus. In like manner, that characteristic enabled the deceased, identified with Osiris, to be resurrected in the Hereafter on the model of human procreation. Many centuries ago, this exquisite bronze sculpture might have been found inside a temple, placed as an offering to the mighty deity. - (X.0305)   « 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 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 form or ecostly 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.0137) Engraved Votive Seal with an Intaglio D.0137 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: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 8" (20.3cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronze The 26th Dynasty, also known as the Saite  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 8" (20.3cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronze The 26th Dynasty, also known as the Saite Period, is traditionally placed by scholars at the end of the Third Intermediate Period or at the beginning of the Late Dynastic Period. In either case, the Saite Period rose from the ashes of a decentralized Egyptian state that had been ravaged by foreign occupation. Supported by the assistance of a powerful family centered in the Delta town of Sais, the Assyrians finally drove the Nubians out of Egypt. At the close of this campaign, Ashurbanipal’s kingdom was at the height of its power; however, due to civil strife back east, he was forced to withdraw his forces from Egypt. Psamtik I, a member of the family from Sais, seized this opportunity to assert his authority over the entire Nile Valley and found his own dynasty, the 26th of Egyptian history. Known as the Saite Period due to the importance of the capital city Sais, the 26th Dynasty, like many before it, sought to emulate the artistic styles of past pharaohs in order to bolster their own claims to power and legitimize their authority. Yet despite that artist sought to replicate models of the past, Egyptian art of this era was infused with a heightened sense of naturalism. This fact is likely due to the influx of Greek culture. The Saite rulers recognized that Egypt had fallen behind the rest of the Mediterranean world in terms of military technology. Thus, they were forced to rely upon foreign mercenaries, many of whom were Greek. With ties between these two cultures firmly established during the 7th Century B.C., commercial trading quickly blossomed. Special entrepots for foreign traders were established, including the famed center of Naucratis, a Delta town in which Greek merchants were permitted access. During the Saite Period, two great powers of the Mediterranean world became intimately linked, commercially and culturally. As the exchange of ideas flowed across the sea, the Greeks began to experiment on a monumental scale while the Egyptians began to approach art with an enhanced sense of realism.   « 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.0138) Engraved Votive Seal with an Intaglio D.0138 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: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronze Condition: Extra Fine The 26th Dynasty, also  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronze Condition: Extra Fine The 26th Dynasty, also known as the Saite Period, is traditionally placed by scholars at the end of the Third Intermediate Period or at the beginning of the Late Dynastic Period. In either case, the Saite Period rose from the ashes of a decentralized Egyptian state that had been ravaged by foreign occupation. Supported by the assistance of a powerful family centered in the Delta town of Sais, the Assyrians finally drove the Nubians out of Egypt. At the close of this campaign, Ashurbanipal’s kingdom was at the height of its power; however, due to civil strife back east, he was forced to withdraw his forces from Egypt. Psamtik I, a member of the family from Sais, seized this opportunity to assert his authority over the entire Nile Valley and found his own dynasty, the 26th of Egyptian history. Known as the Saite Period due to the importance of the capital city Sais, the 26th Dynasty, like many before it, sought to emulate the artistic styles of past pharaohs in order to bolster their own claims to power and legitimize their authority. Ptah, the creator god, is regarded as one of the greatest deities in the Egyptian pantheon. Ancient inscriptions describe him as “creator of the earth, father of the gods and all the being of this earth, father of beginnings.” He was regarded as the patron of metalworkers and artisans (possibly due to the fact that he was believed to fashion the bodies of humans for the afterlife) and as a mighty healer and is usually represented as a mummy with a smooth head holding a scepter of dominion, as he can be seen here. In fact, the characteristic iconography of Ptah had been firmly established as early as the 1st Dynasty, proving that this deity was older than Pharaonic Egypt. The main center of his worship was in Memphis. It was actually Ptah’s inseparable connection to the capital that led, indirectly through the Greeks, to the modern European word of “Egypt.” In the temple of Ptah at Memphis, the sacred Apis bull resided, who was viewed as an intermediary between this powerful deity and mankind. - (X.0343)   « Less

Thisancientvotivesealwasdiscoveredwithacacheofsimilarartifactsalongtheshoresof Lake Van.Evokingthedawnof  More »

Thisancientvotivesealwasdiscoveredwithacacheofsimilarartifactsalongtheshoresof Lake Van.Evokingthedawnof Westernculture,theseapparentlywereofferingsattheshrineofsomepowerfulgod.Thisunknowndeityappearstohavebeenassociatedwithfertilityandrebirth Thedesignthatadornstheofstoodinproxyformorecostlysacrifices.Pressedintosoftclayorwax,theywouldhavecreatedmultipleimagestowinthefavorofthegod.Carvedwithanabstractsimplicitybutanobservanteyetowardnature,thestarkvisuappealofthispieceistimeless Thesesealsrepresentdreams,hopesandaspirationsforhealth,success,andhappinessthatareasoldascivilizationitself.v-(D.0139)Engraved Votive Sealwithan Intaglio D.0139Origin:Lake Van,Anatolia Circa:4000BCto3000BCDimension1.75(4.4cm)highx1(2.5cm)widex75"(1.9cm)depth Collection:Near Eastern Style:Neolithic Medium: Dickite   « Less