Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience By far the most important amulet  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience By far the most important amulet in ancient Egypt was the scarab, symbolically as sacred to the Egyptians as the cross is to Christians. Based upon the dung beetle, this sacred creature forms a ball of dung around its semen and rolls it in a large ball over the sand dropping it into its burrow. The female lays her eggs on the ground and covers them with the excrement ball that is consumed by the larvae that emerge in the following days as if miraculously reborn. In the life cycle of the beetle, the Ancient Egyptians envisioned a microcosm of the daily rebirth of the sun. They imagined the ancient sun god Khepri was a great scarab beetle rolling the sun across the heavens. The scarab also became a symbol of the enduring human soul as well, hence its frequent appearance in funerary art. Scarabs of various materials form an important class of Egyptian antiquities. Though they first appeared in the late Old Kingdom (roughly 2575–2130 B.C.), scarabs remained rare until Middle Kingdom times (circa 1938-1600 B.C.) when they were fashioned in great numbers. While some were used as ornaments, others were purely amuletic in purpose. - (OS.035 )   « Less

This imposing basalt altar dates from the Chalcolithic era, the intermediate period after the advent of stone tools and before the beginning of the Bronze Age. This was an  More »

This imposing basalt altar dates from the Chalcolithic era, the intermediate period after the advent of stone tools and before the beginning of the Bronze Age. This was an age of experimentation, when metalworking was slowly perfected, giving rise to the Bronze Age. This large and powerful work is one of the earliest examples of religious art from a region that would become known as the Holy Lands. The large beak-like nose is emphasized as the seat of the breath of life. Here, the simple yet essential act of breathing is suggested. It is through breath that we are endowed with life. As such, the prominent beak seeks to endow the cold, hard stone with the warmth of life. Libations and offerings to the gods would have been placed in the shallow concave bowl on top of the head, likely to insure the continued prosperity of crops. Thus this work was a result of religious superstition that sought to link the forces of nature with the actions of civilization. By worshipping this avian deity, the ancient peoples of Golan hoped to influence the god, to gain their benevolent favor, and to dissuade their wrath. Even in our modern era, such superstitions persist as good luck charms. This ancient sculpture touches the very foundations human emotions, our fear of disaster and determination to understand the natural world around us. - (X.0021)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1550 BC to 1075 BC Dimensions: 3.8 " (9.7cm) high x 5.8 " (14.7cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Stone It was during the New  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1550 BC to 1075 BC Dimensions: 3.8 " (9.7cm) high x 5.8 " (14.7cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Stone It was during the New Kingdom era that ancient Egypt reached the height of its power and military prowess. Territorial expansion into the Middle East and Nubia gave rise to phenomenal wealth and diversity within its own boundaries. The art of this period is exceptional in terms of the beauty of its execution and faithfulness to detail. This fragment, originally from the wall of a tomb or temple, is no exception. The surviving scene depicts a hand grasping three birds by their feathers. The body of the bird in the foreground is visible; the presence of the other two is indicated by their heads and necks. The composition, with the birds facing in different directions, adds a liveliness and dynamism to the scene. There are several possibilities as to the appearance of the panel in its original state. Visual representations of hunting were common in ancient Egypt, as it was thought to demonstrate the power and courage of the participants. Alternatively the birds may be offered as a votive gift to an unseen deity (the structure on the left is difficult to interpret in its current state). Traces of the original polychromy survive on the wrist and hand. Egyptian artists were fascinated by the natural world and this piece is a wonderful example of their skill in depicting it. (AM) - (SK.029 )   « Less

This imposing basalt altar dates from the Chalcolithic era, the intermediate period after the advent of stone tools and before the beginning of the Bronze Age. This was an  More »

This imposing basalt altar dates from the Chalcolithic era, the intermediate period after the advent of stone tools and before the beginning of the Bronze Age. This was an age of experimentation, when metalworking was slowly perfected, giving rise to the Bronze Age. This large and powerful work is one of the earliest examples of religious art from a region that would become known as the Holy Lands. The large beak-like nose is emphasized as the seat of the breath of life. Here, the simple yet essential act of breathing is suggested. It is through breath that we are endowed with life. As such, the prominent beak seeks to endow the cold, hard stone with the warmth of life. Wings project slightly from the body of the altar, heightening the avian quality of the work. Libations and offerings to the gods would have been placed in the shallow concave bowl on top of the head, likely to insure the continued prosperity of crops. Thus this work was a result of religious superstition that sought to link the forces of nature with the actions of civilization. By worshipping this avian deity, the ancient peoples of Golan hoped to influence the god, to gain their benevolent favor, and to dissuade their wrath. Even in our modern era, such superstitions persist as good luck charms. This ancient sculpture touches the very foundations human emotions, our fear of disaster and determination to understand the natural world around us. - (X.0022)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 400 AD to 700 AD Dimensions: 6.75" (17.1cm) high x 6.5" (16.5cm) wide Catalogue: V1 Collection: Egyptian Style: Coptic Medium: Textile Since  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 400 AD to 700 AD Dimensions: 6.75" (17.1cm) high x 6.5" (16.5cm) wide Catalogue: V1 Collection: Egyptian Style: Coptic Medium: Textile Since earliest antiquity, Egypt was famed for the beauty and quality of its textiles. The art of woven pictures reached its zenith in the Late Classical age. Coptic textiles seem to reflect the changing energy of the period, drawing upon classical precedents, but infusing them with new vigor. In this extraordinary textile the winged figure of Eros, god of love, is within a central tondo, surrounded by eight figures carrying shields, spears and other weapons. These figures appear to be both men and women. Is this a comment on the battle of the sexes, implying that love conquers all? The exact meaning is long since lost in time, but the visual energy of the work remains. - (PF.0352b)   « Less

Origin: Golan, Israel Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BC Dimensions: 13.25" (33.7cm) high Collection: Biblical Style: Chalcolithic Medium: Basalt

Origin: Golan, Israel Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BC Dimensions: 13.25" (33.7cm) high Collection: Biblical Style: Chalcolithic Medium: Basalt   « Less

Origin: Alexandria, Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 6.5" (16.5cm) high Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze The loops  More »

Origin: Alexandria, Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 6.5" (16.5cm) high Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze The loops at the foot and neck of this splendid sculpture indicate that it was meant to be hung as a votive offering to the lord of the afterlife. Osiris was the central figure in Egyptian religion, the god who triumphed over death and therefore offered the hope of resurrection and rebirth 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.145)   « Less

Origin: Golan, Israel Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BC Dimensions: 4.75" (12.1cm) high x 10.625" (27.0cm) wide x 10" (25.4cm) depth Collection: Biblical Style: Chalcolithic Medium:  More »

Origin: Golan, Israel Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BC Dimensions: 4.75" (12.1cm) high x 10.625" (27.0cm) wide x 10" (25.4cm) depth Collection: Biblical Style: Chalcolithic Medium: Basalt   « Less

Egyptian Stone Sculpture of a Crocodile - X.0303 Origin: Egypt Circa: 304 BC to 30 BC Dimensions: 2.2" (5.6cm) high x 4.75" (12.1cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style:  More »

Egyptian Stone Sculpture of a Crocodile - X.0303 Origin: Egypt Circa: 304 BC to 30 BC Dimensions: 2.2" (5.6cm) high x 4.75" (12.1cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Ptolemaic Period Medium: Stone   « Less

This sturdy, simple vessel may once have held an offering of food. To the vanished age that created it, it was perhaps an unremarkable pot, notable more for its contents than  More »

This sturdy, simple vessel may once have held an offering of food. To the vanished age that created it, it was perhaps an unremarkable pot, notable more for its contents than its beauty. Yet, the passage of time has graced it with qualities it did not originally possess: it serves as a bridge to the past. We wonder whose hands once grasped its handles--perhaps Jacob's as he cooked his lentil stew--and we recognize that it radiates with the energetic touch of those ancient lives. - (P.0116)   « Less