The Mycenaean culture dominated Greece during the Bronze Age with its power, art, and wealth. According to legend, the city of Mycenae was founded by the hero Perseus on the  More »

The Mycenaean culture dominated Greece during the Bronze Age with its power, art, and wealth. According to legend, the city of Mycenae was founded by the hero Perseus on the shores of the Peloponniese. A land of valiant warriors, Mycenae is celebrated by Homer as the home of Agamemnon, the heroic king who led the Greeks to victory against Troy. Furthermore, recent archaeological excavations of Mycenaean palaces attest to their wealth, described by Homer as “:Mycenae, rich in gold.” Culturally, the Mycenaeans were heavily indebted to the Minoan civilization of Crete. Noted for their utilitarian pottery, Mycenaean vessels have been excavated throughout the Mediterranean, attesting wide range of their influence on the art and commerce of the ancient world. The script of Linear B was employed by Mycenaean scribes to record their early Greek language. Linear B would replace Linear A, the script of the Minoans, on Crete, revealing that the Mycenaeans would grow to dominate the civilization they grew out of. Although the Mycenaean civilization began to mysteriously decline after the 13th Century B.C., ruins of their constructions, described as Cyclopean because early historians thought only the Cyclops was capable of building with such large boulders, survive today, testifying to the greatness of this ancient culture.   « Less

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 4.75" (12.1cm) high x 2.50" (6.4cm) wide Collection: Classical Style: Hellenistic Medium: Alabaster

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 4.75" (12.1cm) high x 2.50" (6.4cm) wide Collection: Classical Style: Hellenistic Medium: Alabaster   « Less

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 8.3" (21.1cm) high x 2.60" (6.6cm) wide Collection: Classical Style: Hellenistic Medium: Alabaster Condition: Very  More »

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 8.3" (21.1cm) high x 2.60" (6.6cm) wide Collection: Classical Style: Hellenistic Medium: Alabaster Condition: Very Fine   « Less

This fantastically original little gem depicts a scene of family life in beautiful detail and exhilarating motion. Two young children sit upon a raised couch, the smallest  More »

This fantastically original little gem depicts a scene of family life in beautiful detail and exhilarating motion. Two young children sit upon a raised couch, the smallest strumming at a lyre, his brother grasping the side of it and looking on. The rich folds of the linen atop the couch ripple and give way to the long, flowing Chiton of the older brother standing at the couch’s side. The priorities of our lives are not so very different than those that occupied the minds of our Hellenic ancestors. The love of family and the warmth of kinship are considered beautiful enough to merit immortalization in their world, and in ours. This touching scene stirs us most deeply because it impresses upon us that our loved ones have always, and will always shape our lives. Our art is intrinsically built around our nature, and in Durant’s words, “Nature cares little about laws and states; her passion is for the family and the child. If she can preserve these she is indifferent to governments and dynasties and smiles at those who busy themselves with transferring constitutions.” - (SP.003)   « Less

At the height of the Hellenistic age, when Greek culture had spread throughout the Mediterranean, this elegant vessel may have contained fragrant oils, ointments, or  More »

At the height of the Hellenistic age, when Greek culture had spread throughout the Mediterranean, this elegant vessel may have contained fragrant oils, ointments, or perfumes. It was perhaps offered as a votive at some temple or shrine. Its graceful shape is reminiscent of the feminine figure, exquisitely and gently curved. 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 bride of time and set the imagination on a journey of discovery. - (SP.263)   « Less

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 500 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 4.5" (11.4cm) high x 10.5" (26.7cm) wide Collection: Classical Antiquities Style: Greek Medium: Terracotta

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 500 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 4.5" (11.4cm) high x 10.5" (26.7cm) wide Collection: Classical Antiquities Style: Greek Medium: Terracotta   « Less

In this Greek vase, so unusual in shape that it is impossible to classify it in the traditional manner, we stumble upon a rollicking party of Saytrs. The middle figure, leaps  More »

In this Greek vase, so unusual in shape that it is impossible to classify it in the traditional manner, we stumble upon a rollicking party of Saytrs. The middle figure, leaps into the air, his right hand grasping an ornate typanum. Upon that drum he keeps time to the melody provided by the reed-flutes in the hands of his companions. Both painted as side-portraits, they frame the outstretched middle figure- making it seem as if the space he occupies is grander, and making his leap that much more dramatic and joyous. If we turn the vase we will notice under the perfectly formed spout an enormous portrait of the Saytr-beast which occupies the festival directly left of it. This creature casts a gentle eye upon the party at hand, his rounded nose and delicate eyes giving a touch of gravity to the whimsical face that is so dominated by the massive ears and eyebrows. Turning the vase further, our eyes fall upon a stunning and intricate pattern beneath the spout. A fan of palm fronds erupts forth from the base in perfect symmetry- graciously curving inward to allow a sinuous border to wrap around it and the handle itself. The shape of the vessel alone is enough to propel it into the categorization of a masterpiece. The offset spout is perfectly symmetrical, and seamlessly and flawlessly blends into the base of the piece. The cap is perfectly and acutely angled, giving a surprising element of sharpness to an otherwise completely round and curved piece. Such craftsmanship is rarely witnessed, even among the master- potters of Ancient Greece, and such creativity in regards to the shape, the placement of the spout, and the structure of the cap is practically never witnessed. This piece is a masterwork, a paramount display of artistry, pageantry, and the joys of celebration. Who knows what three Satyrs sat in symposia, pouring an endless maelstrom of wine from this vessel, enjoying one another’s company as much as the three depicted upon this vase? And while it may no longer be able to serve the most direct of its uses in the name of happiness and friendship, the artistry and nature of the piece is enough to do just that. What eye cannot be charmed by so vibrant a scene, what heart by so clear a depiction of love and camaraderie? - (FF.21)   « Less

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 2.3" (5.8cm) high x 1.4" (3.6cm) wide Collection: Classical art Style: Hellenistic

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 2.3" (5.8cm) high x 1.4" (3.6cm) wide Collection: Classical art Style: Hellenistic   « Less

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) wide Collection: Classical Antiquities Style: Hellenistic Medium: Gilded Silver

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) wide Collection: Classical Antiquities Style: Hellenistic Medium: Gilded Silver   « Less

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 6.25" (15.9cm) high x 4.30" (10.9cm) wide Collection: Classical Art Style: Hellenistic Medium: Terracotta

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 6.25" (15.9cm) high x 4.30" (10.9cm) wide Collection: Classical Art Style: Hellenistic Medium: Terracotta   « Less