This bowl, found in Israel, conforms to Roman styles of ceramic manufacture. Its simple appearance belies the centuries of ceramic development that are embodied in such a  More »

This bowl, found in Israel, conforms to Roman styles of ceramic manufacture. Its simple appearance belies the centuries of ceramic development that are embodied in such a vessel. Its pedestal base lies below a sweeping breadth, capped by a slightly carinated lip. Whether it is an imported item, or the work of a local craftsman schooled in Roman styles, it is also a witness to the presence of Roman culture in Israel, proliferating in ever greater circles from the time of Sextus Pompey onwards, influencing Israelite culture in both positive and negative ways.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. - (SP.264)   « Less

Since the dawn of history, the lion has represented nobility, pride, power and strength. Kings and princes have adorned their places with lion motifs, while the pharaohs of  More »

Since the dawn of history, the lion has represented nobility, pride, power and strength. Kings and princes have adorned their places with lion motifs, while the pharaohs of Egypt placed their portraits on lion bodies. This unusual bronze appliqué, created at the height of the Roman Empire, must originally have been the handle on a wooden chest. The ring that fit through the lion's mouth has disappeared, but the fierce expression on the beast's face has not. It must have been something rare and precious that the lion guarded so long ago. Though much has changed in the world since this ornament was new, its aura of vanished glory still speaks directly to the imagination. - (FZ.258)   « Less

In daily life, we make a thousand gestures or actions about which we think little, yet which add up to the whole picture of existence. If we button a shirt or buckle a belt,  More »

In daily life, we make a thousand gestures or actions about which we think little, yet which add up to the whole picture of existence. If we button a shirt or buckle a belt, it is an action that comes automatically to us and requires little thought. Yet it is an unmistakable human gesture, something which bears our personal imprint. Imagine then the individual who buckled on this bronze ornament when Rome ruled the world. The buckle is heavy, utilitarian, yet with an abstract beauty that makes it appealing to modern sensibilities. It may have been part of a soldier's gear. If only it could talk, what tales it might tell about everyday life in a vanished time and place. - (FZ.262)   « Less

Since earliest antiquity, the ram has been a favorite creature in myth and legend: one thinks of Jason and the golden ram's fleece, Abraham offering a ram at the last minute  More »

Since earliest antiquity, the ram has been a favorite creature in myth and legend: one thinks of Jason and the golden ram's fleece, Abraham offering a ram at the last minute in place of his son Isaac, and the heavenly zodiac sign of Aries. This proud animal with magnificent curving horns seems to epitomize the essence of the ram. It was no doubt offered centuries ago as a votive to some ancient god, though which one we cannot say. We do not know if the wishes of the votary were granted, but such a splendid gift could hardly have failed to please. - (P.0380)   « Less

In the Classical world, the rooster was a favorite gift, used both as an offering to the gods, and as a present to one's beloved. On the vases of ancient Greece, lovers are  More »

In the Classical world, the rooster was a favorite gift, used both as an offering to the gods, and as a present to one's beloved. On the vases of ancient Greece, lovers are often shown holding a rooster while in the temples of the pagan gods. The bird was sacrificed to gain the benediction of some powerful deity. This charming fowl, with curving tail plumage, and an alert expression as if waiting for the dawn, was probably left as a votive gift when Rome was at her height. He seems to radiate still with the wishes and dreams of that ancient life, as hopeful as a sunrise. - (P.0455)   « Less

Almost all the great civilizations of antiquity prized the horse for its usefulness and its nobility. The pharaohs of Egypt, the kings of Persia, Alexander of Macedon, and  More »

Almost all the great civilizations of antiquity prized the horse for its usefulness and its nobility. The pharaohs of Egypt, the kings of Persia, Alexander of Macedon, and the emperors of Rome all depict themselves riding in triumph on horses or in chariots. The horse was the favorite animal of Poseidon, god of the sea. This clay version seems somehow more ordinary, a horse of the everyday world, yet no less charming for it. When Rome was at her height, he perhaps contained a votive gift, left to please some long forgotten deity. - (P.0457)   « Less

Even today in the Middle East, the sheep is a favorite animal to be sacrificed and eaten at festival times. This abstract but charming clay sheep was perhaps offered as a  More »

Even today in the Middle East, the sheep is a favorite animal to be sacrificed and eaten at festival times. This abstract but charming clay sheep was perhaps offered as a gift to the gods of Rome by a person who could not afford to give a live animal. It is a humble votive, though it has gained beauty with the ages. Surely the dreams and aspirations of the person who placed it at some ancient shrine could hardly have been different from what we would wish for today; health, happiness and prosperity. - (P.0498)   « Less

This very evocative and serene portrait of a lady is carved most delicately from white limestone. Her hair is cleanly arranged and parted in the middle. Her face and bust are  More »

This very evocative and serene portrait of a lady is carved most delicately from white limestone. Her hair is cleanly arranged and parted in the middle. Her face and bust are delicately and humbly covered with a shawl or headed dress. She has a simple pose yet communicates an austere and somewhat pensive state to us. Her gaze takes us back with her to a time when contemplation was with greater depth and meaning. Yet, there is kindness in her gently smiling lips. A “Mona-Lisa” smile that lets us know she is an old soul with great understanding of the meaning of life. One cannot help but gaze back at her, entranced by the profundity of her expression. - (P.4360)   « Less

This androgynous basalt head from Jordan smiles enigmatically with its subtly defined lips. It peers out at us with protruding eyes from underneath its heavy brows. The  More »

This androgynous basalt head from Jordan smiles enigmatically with its subtly defined lips. It peers out at us with protruding eyes from underneath its heavy brows. The primitive, one could say, naive style in which the head was executed is manifest in the rendering of the facial features into stylized geometric patterns, the severity of which is somewhat reminiscent of archaic Greek kouros heads. It gazes ahead with sightless eyes, a poignant memento from a time long past, fashioned by hands which have long since stopped their toil. - (PF.2944)   « Less

This magnificent lead sarcophagus reveals that Judaism continued to thrive in Ancient Israel despite the brutal repression of the Roman Occupation. A circular band that once  More »

This magnificent lead sarcophagus reveals that Judaism continued to thrive in Ancient Israel despite the brutal repression of the Roman Occupation. A circular band that once framed the central image is still visible in the bottom right corner. Inside this circle, one sees the image of a menorah surmounted by two bunches of grapes. One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith, the menorah is a seven-branched candelabrum used to light the Temple that is today closely identified with the Jewish holiday Chanukah. Historically, grapes were one of the most important products in Israel, grown both to eat as well as to make wine. Wine was often used in ceremonial occasions and grapes were offered at the alter. The vine and grapes are a symbol of fertility and blessing from the lord. Thus the iconography of this sarcophagus clearly identifies the deceased individual who was once held within its confines as a pious Jew who was blessed by the lord in life, as he no doubt also was in death. - (X.0263)   « Less