Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 6.25" (15.9cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronz and Electrum This magnificent bronze votive  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 6.25" (15.9cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronz and Electrum 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 slithering down the front 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. On the back, a falcon head symbolic of Horus is present. The falcon wears a tripartite wig and is crowned with a double plumed headdress replete with a solar disk and Uraeus cobra. Furthermore, an incised decorative band leads just below the falcon head on his shoulders to the back of his feet. This design appears to imitate colorful beaded necklaces that have been found decorating mummies from this period. This sculpture is in a remarkable state of preservation; even the inlaid electrum eyes have survived intact. 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.0462)   « Less

Shalmanessar III reigned as the King of Assyria from 859 to 824 B.C. He was the son of Assurnasirpal and conducted 32 campaigns in the 35 years of his reign. Many of the  More »

Shalmanessar III reigned as the King of Assyria from 859 to 824 B.C. He was the son of Assurnasirpal and conducted 32 campaigns in the 35 years of his reign. Many of the campaigns were directed against the lands west of the Euphrates, particularly against the powerful kingdom of Aram. Although he had some success and even received considerable tribute from the allies of Aram, including Israel, he failed to conquer Aram itself. Two of his monuments, now in the British Museum, are particularly noteworthy: the Black Obelisk on which Jehu, king of Israel, is depicted kissing Shalmanessar’s feet, and the plaques of hammered bronze known as the Gates of Balawat. This splendid brick features an inscription written in cuneiform, an ancient language inscribed using a series of wedge-shaped incisions. The text can be translated as: “Shalmanessar, great king, might king, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Assurnasirpal, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, descendant of Tukulti-Ninurta, king of the world, king of Assyria, (brick for) the erection of the ziggurat of the city of Kalhu.” This stunning artifact records the greatness of a king who, were it not for such splendid monuments, might otherwise be forgotten. Thus this brick is one of the last resounding echoes of a king’s great call. -(PF.5520)Brick Dedicated to Shalmanessar III - PF.5520Origin: Mesopotamia Circa: 858 BC to 824 BCDimensions: 14.5" (36.8cm) high x 14.5" (36.8cm)wide Catalogue:V29Collection: Near Eastern Style: Assyrian   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1 st Century AD Dimensions: 13" (33.0cm) high x 6.5" (16.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Paint on Wood The so-called  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1 st Century AD Dimensions: 13" (33.0cm) high x 6.5" (16.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Paint on Wood The so-called Faiyum portraits are the fascinating result of cultural fusion between indigenous Egyptian and invading Roman cultural styles. The Romans had a fascination with the longevity of Egyptian mummies and the immortality they promised, and introduced to the mummification process the relatively innovative and to Egypt revolutionary art style of perceived representationalism. The reign of Akhenaten had been the only flirtation Egypt had had with such a style, and the violent end of him and his short-lived dynasty (including the possible murder of Tutankhamun) heralded the return of traditional Egyptian styles. This piece, 13 inches tall by 6.5 wide, is both spectacular and highly significant to the development of Egyptian and Roman art styles. It has been published in full as is appropriate for a piece of this importance (H.F. in Klaus Parlasca and Hellmut Seemann (editors), Augenblikcke. Mumienporträts und ägyptische Grabkunst aus römischer Zeit (Munich 1999), pages 220-221, catalogue number 129). The piece is described below by Dr R.S. Bianchi:   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1570 BC to 1070 BC Dimensions: 19" (48.3cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Wood Wooden sculptures from Ancient Egypt are  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1570 BC to 1070 BC Dimensions: 19" (48.3cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Wood Wooden sculptures from Ancient Egypt are exceedingly rare, since fine wood was scarce and expensive, and preservation is often problematic despite the desiccated environments of stone-cut tombs. On the majority of New Kingdom wooden sculptures to have been recovered, the torso/legs and arms were carved separately, the arms then being pegged into place. Unusually, the current piece has been carved from a single block of wood. He stands in the distinguished posture characteristic of males in this period, legs together, the right arm extended by the side with closed fist (pierced to hold a weapon, or perhaps an agricultural implement), the left flexed at the elbow and extended forwards, palm-up. The figure is naked except for a knee-length skirt-like loincloth; the anatomical details are perfectly rendered in low relief, with well-defined pectoral and biceps muscles. The face is a mask of placidity, the cheeks, eyes, mouth, eyes, eyebrows and ears all picked out in clear detail. The top of the head is angularly flattened, suggesting that the figure originally wore a wig or headdress made from some other material that fit over the wooden form: probable candidates include bone and ivory. As with all of the rest of the sculpture, there is little radicalism in terms of sculptural interpretation, as was briefly the case under the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten (the husband of Nefertiti, and father allegedly of Tutankhamun). The only tangible effect of his reign was a subsequent slight increase in naturalism and rather less tendency towards stylised formulaic reiteration. There is no hieroglyphic inscription on the figure, so it is impossible to ascertain the identity of the individual portrayed. However, the size of the figure, the rarity of the material and the care with which it has been carved seem to suggest that it was an individual of some importance. The fact that the ears project to such an extent, and have no wear means that the missing headpiece was high and narrow. It is therefore possible even likely that the figure depicts a member of the royal family or a pharaoh. This is a true masterwork of ancient Egyptian art, the value of which is enhanced by its rarity and excellent preservation. - (X.0565)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 2" (5.1cm) high x 2.5" (6.4cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Terracotta This object is a  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 2" (5.1cm) high x 2.5" (6.4cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Terracotta This object is a flat-backed plaque depicting the right facing head of a ram in high relief. The horn of the ram is re-curved and curls around the ear toward the front of its face. The profile is aristocratic, helped by the high nasal bones and small ears that characterise many North African domestic and wild sheep breeds. The details of the ear particularly the treatment of the hair in the area from which it springs from the head the tear duct anterior to the eye, and the mouth-nostrils are meticulously observed and executed. The entire object is modelled in broad planes to which linear detail has been added. The facial aspect is smooth clay: the horns and long hair at the neck level are in stronger relief. Without either an accompanying inscription or distinctive specific attribute, it is difficult to identify the deity to which this particular ram carving was intended to relate. Candidates include Khnum (who, as potter, fashioned mankind on the potters wheel), Amun (whose depiction as a ram is demonstrated by the avenues of ram-headed sphinxes in Thebes) and Bad-neb-djed, the ram-headed god of Mendes (the capital of Egypt during Dynasty XXIX). Our ram may well represent any one of these deities. In style and technique, our terracotta plaque finds its closest stylistic parallels in limestone plaques that are often termed sculptors models, with the understanding they were maquettes for larger works, However, they may in fact have served as votive offerings in their own right. Limestone versions are usually dated to the Late Period, but stylistic comparisons with related artefacts including an example in Boston seem to suggest a date somewhere in the Ptolemaic Period. In essence, however, our plaque is unique. This is an exceptionally beautiful, perfectly executed and very rare artefact that will appeal to anyone with interests in ancient Egyptian artworks.   « Less

Origin: Israel Circa: 1300 BC to 900 BC Weight: 22 Grams Collection: Egyptian Style: Late 2nd to early 1st Millennium BC Medium: Gold This remarkable spheroid vase is  More »

Origin: Israel Circa: 1300 BC to 900 BC Weight: 22 Grams Collection: Egyptian Style: Late 2nd to early 1st Millennium BC Medium: Gold This remarkable spheroid vase is in the form of a pomegranate. Its short neck with distinctive, ribbed, everted petals imitates the natural form of the top of this fruit. The neck of the vessel is decorated with a series of repeated motifs in the form of a central lotus bud, flanked on each side by single lotus blossoms. These are oriented toward the bottom of the vessel as if forming part of a garland placed around the neck of the vase. The pomegranate was first introduced into Egypt during the later Bronze Age from the Levant as a result of the military campaigns of such warrior pharaohs as Tuthmosis III. Shortly thereafter Egyptian craftsmen of Dynasty XVIII were creating vases in the shape of pomegranates in silver, faience, glass, ivory and other deluxe materials. These, however, differ in their design from our golden pomegranate.   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 4.5" (11.4cm) high x 3.75" (9.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Corinthian Medium: Faience This miniature vessel  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 4.5" (11.4cm) high x 3.75" (9.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Corinthian Medium: Faience This miniature vessel is a spherical aryballos widely used as a container for oil in the Late Archaic and Early Classical Periods of Greek history. It was doubtless mould made and relies upon two different hues of blue faience for its visual impact. In keeping with Greek aesthetic concerns, this aryballos is divided into distinctive zones which emphasize the tectonic shape of the vessel itself. The thick, disk-shaped mouth rises up from a narrow neck. Its top surface is concave and pierced with a small, central opening, both of which were intentionally designed to control the flow of oil. The mouth is attached to a strap handle exhibiting a scored, design. The body of the aryballos itself is divided into two zones, separated from one another by a double, sculptural band. The pattern above on the shoulder zone is a frieze of lancelet-like leaves raised up from the background in such as way that they appear as sculptural elements. Below, is a tongue-pattern of alternating lighter and darker blue forms. Such vessels are indebted to forms created earlier in terracotta by Corinthian potteries who introduced the spherical shape in imitation of fruit. The lancelet-like leaves and tongue patterning on our example are certainly evocative of the stylized skins of fruit which are peeled before eating. Ceramicists from East Greek city-states in Ionia then adopted the Egyptian technology of faience for the manufacture of such vessels. These aryballoi not only held precious unguents and balms used as cosmetics by wealthy Greeks, but also pure olive oil with which athletes in the Olympic and other games bathed.   « 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 of the ancient Near East.Assyrian Brick with Cuneiform Inscription - PF.5521Origin: Mesopotamia Circa: 883BCto859BCDimensions:18"(45.7cm)highx17.75"(45.1cm)wide Collection:Near Eastern Style:Assyrian Medium: Mudbrick   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1450 BC to 1070 BC Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Stone This elegantly-carved head represents the  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1450 BC to 1070 BC Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Stone This elegantly-carved head represents the Egyptian goddess Hathor – also known as Mehturt – who was one of the longest- worshipped deities in the Egyptian pantheon. Like most Egyptian gods, she went through various incarnations from a “cow goddess” flanking Narmer (who unified Egypt in the 31st century BC) on his eponymous palette, through to being the wife of Ra (the sun god), the wife of Thoth (god of the moon and/or a heavenly mediator) and the mother of Horus (the god of the sky). However, she never lost her primary role, which was goddess of the Milky Way, representative of milk spilling from the udders of a heavenly cow. As the Milky Way, she was believed to encircle the sky – and thus her son, Horus – although she was worshipped for much longer than her offspring, who was replaced by the sun god, Ra. Her significance was mainly economic, for the Milky Way was believed to be a heavenly version of the terrestrial Nile, which could not flood without her assistance. As three quarters of Egypt’s population was directly reliant upon the Nile, a failure to flood spelled disaster; thus her social importance never declined. Expectant mothers also worshipped Hathor, as she was seen as a herald of imminent birth, and she was also seen as a protector for those in desertic areas. It is also interesting to note the parallels between Egypt and other parts of the ancient world who also revered bulls and cows; the Neolithic site of Catal Huyuk was but one of many who became invested with “tauromaquia”, while zebus constituted much of the economy of various Near Eastern and Central Asian countries.   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 100 AD to 300 AD Dimensions: 3.25" (8.3cm) high x 10" (25.4cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Rock Crystal The importance of  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 100 AD to 300 AD Dimensions: 3.25" (8.3cm) high x 10" (25.4cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Rock Crystal The importance of cats to ancient Egyptian society cannot be overstated. They appear regularly in mythological and reincarnation myths, are made into goddesses (such as Bastet) and were mummified with as much care and reverence as their human counterparts. It is therefore little wonder that sculptures of them are not uncommon. However, they are usually carved from basalt or alabaster, or painted on the caskets or tombs of the deceased. This is the most remarkable feline carving we have seen. Rock crystal, the material from which our cat is sculpted, appears to have been reserved for deluxe creations during the pharaonic period. The material underwent something of a revival during the Roman Imperial Period when wealthy Romans took full advantage of Egypt’s immense cultural heritage to decorate their homes, palaces and tombs. Other examples of this include the Roman fad for mummification, for although the tradition had been on the decline for some time before the Roman occupation, the occupying forces were much taken by the longevity of Egypt’s Old Kingdom rulers’ physical remains. While the mummification practiced during the late period was often decidedly lackadaisical, however, superb works of art were often produced by artisans working in a wide range of scarce and costly materials. Our cat – although the possibility of the piece representing some other feline species cannot be ruled out – is naturalistically represented in an alert yet recumbent attitude, with its body drawn up into a semi-circle and fore paws touching. The hind legs are drawn up yet relaxed, and the tail is wrapped alongside them. The detailing of anatomical features is achieved with extreme precision, down to the rings on the tail that characterize depictions of certain species of ancient Egyptian cats. Our cat’s head is slightly raised with its eyes focused straight ahead as if startled or surveying potential danger; this impression is enhanced by the fact that the cat’s ears are drawn toward the back of its head. The rarity of this specimen is such that the role it originally played in the society that produced it is unclear. There are two possibilities – either that is genuinely portrays a feline subject of some affection for the sculptor (or the person who commissioned the work), or that it is a reflection of the perpetuating reverence for the goddess Bastet, which continued into Roman times. The sheer size of the object (10” long) and the rarity of the material would seem to suggest the latter, for it would otherwise seem to be a devastatingly expensive way of expressing affection for a feline companion. Malek, J. The Cat in Ancient Egypt (London 1993) Shaw, I. and Nicholson, P. BM Dictionary of Ancient Egypt (London 1995). - (X.0727)   « Less