Created during the age of David and Solomon, 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 David and Solomon, 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 Solomon anointed Saul king of Israel. Whatever its past, we are aware that is 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.2775)   « Less

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

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by annointing them with oil. Thus Samuel annointed 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. - (PF.0115)   « Less

New Kingdom Limestone Fragment of a Stele - OF.250 Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Dimensions: 7.5" (19.1cm) high x 11.0" (27.9cm) wide Collection: Egyptian  More »

New Kingdom Limestone Fragment of a Stele - OF.250 Origin: Egypt Circa: 1600 BC to 1100 BC Dimensions: 7.5" (19.1cm) high x 11.0" (27.9cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Art Style: New Kingdom Medium: Limestone   « Less

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

In Israel, as in other ancient kingdoms, 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. - (PF.0118)   « Less

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

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by annointing them with oil. Thus Samuel annointed 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. - (PF.0119)   « Less

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

In Israel, as in other ancient kingdoms, 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. - (PF.0306)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 6000 BC to 4000 BC Dimensions: 4.75" (12.1cm) high x 2.25" (5.7cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Neolithic Medium: Flint The creation of tools  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 6000 BC to 4000 BC Dimensions: 4.75" (12.1cm) high x 2.25" (5.7cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Neolithic Medium: Flint The creation of tools utilizing the natural environment is what distinguishes man from animal. What was once created using stone and wood has, over the centuries, evolved into metalworking and modern-day plastics. But it is the simplest tools, those carved from stone, which allowed mankind to conquer the natural environment and to prosper. Holding this flint axe head in our hand, although it appears rough and crude, we are holding the nascent breath of the great civilization of Egypt. From such axe heads would eventually rise the pyramids. Tools allowed mankind to altar the natural settings and to create his own habitats. An axe head like this one, when tied securely to a wooden shaft, could be used to chop wood or to carve meat from a fallen prey. This axe head represents the innate human drive to altar the environment, to innovate, and to create something stronger and more durable. It is in these earliest tools that we are able to witness the birth of civilization. From such tools, mankind learned to carve stones and rocks into new shapes and forms that suited the needs of the people, slowly evolving from primitive axe heads into pyramids and temples. - (PF.5969)   « Less

The tradition of glazed terracotta brick as adornments began in southern Iran in the 13th century B.C. This Assyrian glazed brick tile would have adorned the walls of a  More »

The tradition of glazed terracotta brick as adornments began in southern Iran in the 13th century B.C. This Assyrian glazed brick tile would have adorned the walls of a temple or palace structure. The tiered tile is decorated by the representation of a mythological creature based on the forms of a female human. However, this woman is winged and has the arms of a lion. A slight relief of a brown glaze delineates the outlines of her body as well as the simulated feathers of the wings. She also wears a conical spotted crown, partly covered by a horn that grows out of her head. Seen in profile, her one ovular eye is fully open and alert. The musculature of her body, specifically the lower half, can be characterized by the flowing, spiraling curves that define her stomach and thighs. Her lion paw arms reach outward, as if pushing against the borders of the brick. This fantastical remnant of a lost age reveals the extreme sophistication and elegance of their forgotten culture. Imagine a room filled from floor to eilingwithsuchtiles.Bearefulto consider how vibrant the orange and blue hues must haveoriginally been. What a truly spectacular sight this would be inanyera.-(PF.5615)Assyrian Tile Depictinga Mythological Creature -PF.5615Origin:Mesopotamia Circa:900BCto700CDimensions: 18.5" (47.0cm) high x Medium: Glazed Terracotta   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 6000 BC to 4000 BC Dimensions: 4.5" (11.4cm) high x 1.875" (4.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Neolithic Medium: Flint The creation of tools  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 6000 BC to 4000 BC Dimensions: 4.5" (11.4cm) high x 1.875" (4.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Neolithic Medium: Flint The creation of tools utilizing the natural environment is what distinguishes man from animal. What was once created using stone and wood has, over the centuries, evolved into metalworking and modern-day plastics. But it is the simplest tools, those carved from stone, which allowed mankind to conquer the natural environment and prosper. Holding this flint axe head in our hand, although it appears rough and crude, we are holding the nascent breath of the great civilization of Egypt. From such axe heads would eventually rise the pyramids. Tools allowed mankind to alter the natural settings and to create their own habitats. An axe head like this one, when tied securely to a wooden shaft, could be used to chop wood or to carve the meat of a fallen prey. This axe head represents the innate human drive to alter the environment, to innovate, and to create something stronger and more durable. It is in these earliest tools that we are able to witness the birth of civilization. From such tools, mankind learned to carve stones and rocks into new shapes and forms that suited the needs of the people, slowly evolving from primitive axe heads into pyramids and temples. - (PF.5970)   « Less

In the time of the patriarch Abraham, this vessel might have held ointments or perfumes, or perhaps an offering of wine or honey. In Genesis it says that Abraham anointed  More »

In the time of the patriarch Abraham, this vessel might have held ointments or perfumes, or perhaps an offering of wine or honey. In Genesis it says that Abraham anointed Isaac with oil, perhaps from a jug like this. 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, the centuries melt away and the imagination sets out on a journey of discovery. - (PF.1563)   « Less