Created during the age of the biblical patriarchs, this simple but charming vessel glows with the rich patina of history. Who can say through whose hands it might have passed  More »

Created during the age of the biblical patriarchs, 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 Abraham anointed Isaac in the moment before the angel appeared. 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.2773)   « Less

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had  More »

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had hallowed the tabernacle and Aaron the High Priest before, and Abraham had sanctified Isaac. A vessel such as this--simple but elegant--may have contained oil for ritual use. Whose hands might have held it so long ago we can only guess, yet the connection is a direct one between our age and theirs - (SP.034)   « Less

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had  More »

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had hallowed the tabernacle and Aaron the High Priest before, and Abraham had sanctified Isaac. A vessel such as this--simple but elegant--may have contained oil for ritual use. Whose hands might have held it so long ago we can only guess, yet the connection is a direct one between our age and theirs - (SP.033)   « Less

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had  More »

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had hallowed the tabernacle and Aaron the High Priest before, and Abraham had sanctified Isaac. A vessel such as this--simple but elegant--may have contained oil for ritual use. Whose hands might have held it so long ago we can only guess, yet the connection is a direct one between our age and theirs - (SP.001)   « Less

The oldest known written language, cuneiform, first used by the ancient peoples of the Near East over 5000 years ago, is composed of a series of wedge-shaped incisions made  More »

The oldest known written language, cuneiform, first used by the ancient peoples of the Near East over 5000 years ago, is composed of a series of wedge-shaped incisions made with a sharpened reed stylus. This script was adopted by all the major civilizations of Mesopotamia for recording their distinct languages, including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babylonians. Clay tablets were the preferred media for everyday writing because they could either be easily recycled or, if a permanent record was required, fired in a kiln and preserved. The earliest recorded inscriptions are not myths of histories, but rather banal economic transactions and accounting documents. Later, one of the most famous written works of the ancient world, Hammurabi’s code, was recorded in the cuneiform script. While these marks may appear obscure and mysterious to our eyes, scholars have made much progress in deciphering cuneiform after discovering inscriptions on the Behistun Rock, a cliff in western Iran. Much like the Rosetta Stone, the Behistun Inscription contained the same text written in three different languages (Persian, Babylonian, and Elamite), all of which utilized the cuneiform system of writing. Due to the resemblance of these languages to modern ones, scholars were able to crack to code. Middle Babylonian Terracotta Cuneiform Tablet-X.0125Origin:Mesopotamia Circa:1281BCDimensions:4.2.1cm) high x 2.75" Terracotta   « Less

Created during the age of the Hebrew patriarchs, prior to the time of Moses, this elegant vessel might have held a drink offering, or perhaps served as a pouring vessel, or  More »

Created during the age of the Hebrew patriarchs, prior to the time of Moses, this elegant vessel might have held a drink offering, or perhaps served as a pouring vessel, or decanter for water or wine. As we hold it in our hands today, admiring its simple beauty, we are aware of the touch of other hands long ago. Who might have held it when it was new? Were the dreams and emotions that guided their lives so very different from our own? The vessel's graceful unadorned shape appeals as much to the contemporary eye as it did to the culture that created it. Such artifacts, ordinary enough in their own age, connect us in an intimate way with the world of the past. In its presence, we cross the bridge of time and set the imagination on a journey of discovery. - (SP.259)   « Less

Created during the age of the Hebrew patriarchs, prior to the time of Moses, this elegant vessel might have held a drink offering, or perhaps served as a pouring vessel, or  More »

Created during the age of the Hebrew patriarchs, prior to the time of Moses, this elegant vessel might have held a drink offering, or perhaps served as a pouring vessel, or decanter for water or wine. As we hold it in our hands today, admiring its simple beauty, we are aware of the touch of other hands long ago. Who might have held it when it was new? Were the dreams and emotions that guided their lives so very different from our own? The vessel's graceful unadorned shape appeals as much to the contemporary eye as it did to the culture that created it. Such artifacts, ordinary enough in their own age, connect us in an intimate way with the world of the past. In its presence, we cross the bridge of time and set the imagination on a journey of discovery. - (SP.260)   « Less

This magnificent alabaster bust of a man is closely related to the famed series of sculptures commissioned by Gudea of Lagash. After the collapse of the Akkadian empire,  More »

This magnificent alabaster bust of a man is closely related to the famed series of sculptures commissioned by Gudea of Lagash. After the collapse of the Akkadian empire, southern Mesopotamia was divided into a series of independent city-states ruled by local kings. The city-state of Lagash prospered under the enlightened rule of Gudea and his son Ur- Ningrisu. Gudea set about restoring the temples of Lagash and commissioned a series of sculpture of the gods and himself to decorate these renovated structures. It is through inscriptions found on these sculptures as well as through contemporary texts, composed mostly of Sumerian hymns and prayers, that we know about Gudea. While the art of the Akkadian period can be characterized by a sense of dynamic realism, the works from this Neo- Sumerian culture that survive are filled with a sense of piety and restraint, perhaps relating to their nature as religious icons. This bust depicts a man wearing the distinctive Persian-lamb fur cap that is traditionally associated with the ensi, or governor Neo-Sumerian Alabaster Bust ofa Priest-X.0211Origin:Mesopotamia Circa:2200BCto2100BCDimensions:12.5"(31.8cm) high x 9.5" (24.1cm) wide Collection: Near Eastern Style: Neo-Sumerian   « Less

Although archaeological excavations reveal that the land of the Assyrians had been inhabited as early as 5000 B.C., it was not until the reign of King Sargon of Akkad in 2371  More »

Although archaeological excavations reveal that the land of the Assyrians had been inhabited as early as 5000 B.C., it was not until the reign of King Sargon of Akkad in 2371 B.C. that the Assyrians first rose to glory. Under Sargon, the kingdom rapidly expanded north to the city of Ashur and as far west as the Mediterranean, controlled by a central government based in Akkad. By 1813 B.C., King Shamshi-Adad I united the cities of Ashur, Nineveh, and Arbel into one cohesive administrative unit. These three cities, as well as Arrapkha and Kalhu (later known as Nimrud), form the historical core of the Assyrian Kingdom which would remain a credible force throughout the Mediterranean world for the next millennium. While various parts of Assyrian territory were annexed for brief periods of time by neighboring civilizations, this core remained firmly intact. The Assyrians experienced another Golden Age, lasting from the 9th until the 7th Century B.C. (this period is referred to as “Neo-Assyrian”). During this period, the kingdom grew to its largest extent, encompassing the lands from parts of modern Iran to the Mediterranean, from Anatolia to Egypt. However, it proved difficult even for the powerful Assyrian monarchs to maintain control over this vast territory for very long. By the end of the 7th Century, the Assyrian Kingdom began to collapse under the weight of assaults from the Babylonians to the south and the newly founded Medes Kingdom to the east. In 612 B.C., Nimrud burned for the second time in three years, followed by the sacking of Ashur and Nineveh, effectively ending Assyrian control oftheancient Near Eas Assyrian Glazed Brick Tile Depictinga Mythological Creature-X.0262Origin:Mesopotamia Circa: 900 BC to 700BCDimensions:21.75"(55.2cm)highollection:Near Eastern Style Assyrian Medium: Glazed Terracotta   « Less

Chlorite is a distinctive gray-green stone that was utilized during antiquity for the fabrication of luxurious containers in the greater Gulf region as well as southern Iran.  More »

Chlorite is a distinctive gray-green stone that was utilized during antiquity for the fabrication of luxurious containers in the greater Gulf region as well as southern Iran. Excavations at the archeological site of Tepe Yaya, dated to the mid-third millennium B.C., in Iran unearthed the ruins of workshops where such vessels were discovered. As well, raw materials used for their manufacture, chlorite as well as steatite, quarried from the nearby hills were also present. On the island of Tarut, in the Gulf close to the Arabian coast, over six hundred complete and fragmentary vessels and weights have been unearthed. Because many partially formed objects foundon Tarutwerediscovered next to chunks of unworked chlorite, it has beensurmisedthatthisislandwasonceacenter of production for these works. ntercultural Style Chlorite Vase - X.0319Origin: Near East Circa: 3000 BCto2000BCCollection:Near Eastern Style:Intercultural Style Medium: Chlorite   « Less