Origin: Egypt (Alexandria) Circa: 200 BC to 200 AD Collection: Graeco Roman Pendant Medium: Terracotta/Gold Additional Information: This exquisite sculpture is set in a  More »

Origin: Egypt (Alexandria) Circa: 200 BC to 200 AD Collection: Graeco Roman Pendant Medium: Terracotta/Gold Additional Information: This exquisite sculpture is set in a pendant of 18-karat gold. For thousands of years, Isis was the nurturing mother goddess of the Egyptians. The wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus, her cult focused on the fertility of the land and the promise of eternal life. With the coming of the Ptolemaic Greeks and later the Romans, the worship of Isis was incorporated with that of classical mother goddesses and spread throughout the ancient world. A temple of Isis was discovered among the ruins of Pompeii. Someone seeking the favor of the goddess offered this charming votive image centuries ago. In an elegant gold pendant, it evokes the mystery and the magic of the eternally feminine. - (FJ.3607)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Ram Medium: Gold Condition: Extra Fine Khnum (Khnemu) "To Create." Egyptian ram god. Khnum was  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Ram Medium: Gold Condition: Extra Fine Khnum (Khnemu) "To Create." Egyptian ram god. Khnum was credited with creating life on a potter's wheel at the behest of the other gods. He was also said to control the annual inundation of the Nile, although the god Hapi physically generates the inundation. The goddesses Satis and Anuket assisted him in their supervisory role. His major cult center was on the Elephantine Island near the first cataract of the Nile (Near modern Aswan) where mummified rams sacred to Khnum have been found. He also had an important cult center at Esna, to the north of the first cataract. He was usually depicted inhuman form with a ram's head - the horns extending horizontally on either side of the head - often before a potter's wheel on which a naked human was being fashioned. - (LO.1396)   « Less

Fatimid Rock Crystal Sculpture of a Bird - OF.074, Origin: Egypt, Circa: 1000 AD to 1100 AD, Dimensions:3.1" (7.9cm) high x 2.65" (6.7cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art,  More »

Fatimid Rock Crystal Sculpture of a Bird - OF.074, Origin: Egypt, Circa: 1000 AD to 1100 AD, Dimensions:3.1" (7.9cm) high x 2.65" (6.7cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Fatimid, Medium: Rock Crystal, At the height of their power, the Fatimid Caliphate ruled much of the Islamic world, including North Africa, the Hejaz, and the Eastern Mediterranean, from their capital in Cairo. However, their roots can be traced to the shores of Ifriqiya in modern day Tunisia and eastern Algeria where in 909 A.D. an imam from the Ismaili sect of the Shia branch of Islam declared himself caliph and adopted the name of al-Mahdi (the Divinely Guided One). Directly opposing the power of the Sunni Abbasids, the Fatimids legitimized their claim to authority by tracing their descent to Muhammad by way of his daughter Fatima (hence the name Fatimid) and her husband Ali, the first Shia imam. Soon after their founding, the Fatimids began to expand outwards, swiftly bringing all of the Maghreb under their dominion. Thereafter, the Fatimids set their sights to the East where the Abbasids centers of power lay.   « Less

Wooden Loom Shuttle - LK.158, Origin: Egypt, Circa: 9 th Century AD to 13 th Century AD, Dimensions:1.5" (3.8cm) high x 10.9" (27.7cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style:  More »

Wooden Loom Shuttle - LK.158, Origin: Egypt, Circa: 9 th Century AD to 13 th Century AD, Dimensions:1.5" (3.8cm) high x 10.9" (27.7cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Islamic, Medium: Wood.   « Less

Ammonite Stone Scaraboid Seal - CK.0672Origin: Jordan Circa: 900 BC to 700 BC Dimensions: .25" (0.6cm) high x .375" (1.0cm) wide x .5" (1.3cm) depth Collection: Near Eastern  More »

Ammonite Stone Scaraboid Seal - CK.0672Origin: Jordan Circa: 900 BC to 700 BC Dimensions: .25" (0.6cm) high x .375" (1.0cm) wide x .5" (1.3cm) depth Collection: Near Eastern Style: Ammonite Medium: Stone   « Less

Ammonite Stone Scaraboid Seal CK.0673Origin:Jordan Circa:900BCto700BCDimensions: .375" (1.0cm) high x .5" (1.3cm) wide x .625" (1.6cm) depth Collection: Near Eastern Style:  More »

Ammonite Stone Scaraboid Seal CK.0673Origin:Jordan Circa:900BCto700BCDimensions: .375" (1.0cm) high x .5" (1.3cm) wide x .625" (1.6cm) depth Collection: Near Eastern Style: Ammonite Medium: Stone   « Less

In the ancient world Alexandria was a cosmopolitan jewel—a center of learning and artistry that attracted the Mediterranean’s greatest intellectuals. Always on  More »

In the ancient world Alexandria was a cosmopolitan jewel—a center of learning and artistry that attracted the Mediterranean’s greatest intellectuals. Always on the cutting edge of philosophy and religion, Egyptian mystery cults like that of Osiris spread across the Mediterranean where Hellenic peoples assimilated these foreign rites into their deistic traditions. In the Egyptian capital of Memphis, the city’s great temple contained an enclosure of the Apis bull, a divine creature regarded as the herald of the god Ptah—the principal deity of Memphis. As a manifestation of Ptah, the Apis bull was considered to be a symbolic extension of the Pharaoh and incarnating the very qualities of kingship. The cult of Apis is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, emerging as a fertility god during the Old Kingdom more than two thousand years before the Caesars ruled the western world. During the Ptolemaic period following the 4th century conquests of Alexander the Great, the Apis bull was transformed into the cult of Serapis, an anthropomorphic god that integrated Egyptian religion with the Hellenic traditions of the Ptolemys. This exceptional bronze bull is a testament to the wonderfully peculiar mysteries of Egyptian religion. The Romans despised the Egyptians for their bestial gods, but looking at this masterful creation with its exquisite proportions and realistic detail, one can appreciate the Egyptian’s gentle reverence for the divine animals. The bull’s body lines flow gracefully across the animal’s hulking chest, along its widened flanks, and against a rippling dewlap. The bull’s proud phallus is an expression of virility; with his head turned in subtle and casual affectation this alpha male realizes his power, he knows he is unassailable. The facial detail is also quite remarkable with the mouth and nostrils clearly delineated, ears lowered and horns prominent. However, most striking of all are the bull’s beautiful eyes, expressing a mixture of gentleness and confidence, depicted here with such skill and attention. The rich reddish-brown color blended with the natural patina, brings to life this amazing animal so important in the cults of Egypt. - (FZ.136)   « Less

The outer coffin is designed as a replica of the earth as the ancient Egyptians envisioned it. Accordingly, the rectangular form of the box may be regarded as a depiction of  More »

The outer coffin is designed as a replica of the earth as the ancient Egyptians envisioned it. Accordingly, the rectangular form of the box may be regarded as a depiction of earth itself. The ancient Egyptians then imagined that the heavens were supported by four posts, and each of these, also representing one of the four cardinal points of the compass, is found in each corner of the earth-box. Each of these supports is decorated with an undulating pattern which is to be understood as a depiction of the hide of a cow. Accordingly, each post represents one leg of the celestial cow, identified as the goddess Nut. She is often represented standing over the earth so that her belly becomes the vault of heaven. It is for his reason that the lid of this coffin is likewise vaulted. The symbolism inherent in the design of this four poster, vaulted ceiling coffin is furthered when one considers that the ancient Egyptians also believed that the sun was metaphorically swallowed by Nut each evening at sun set and emerged from her womb each morning at dawn. This mythological cycle represented the death and aspired resurrection of the deceased interred within the coffin. The presence of the cow goddess Nut, representing the support of the heavens and the heavens themselves, is appropriate because the owner of this funerary ensemble was the aristocratic Lady named Merit-it-es. It is fitting that the resurrection of a woman is made manifest in the religious symbolism of a goddess rather than a god. The falcon perched at one end of the vaulted lid deserves special comment because it is not depicted with feet and legs but is rather designed as a mummy. This mummified falcon represents Sokar, the patron deity of the necropolis of Memphis. Throughout its long history, Memphis retained its status as the venerable religious capital of the entire nation. Sokar was venerated as the guardian of tomb of the god Osiris which Sokar protected by perching on its roof, just as he is here perched on the roof of the coffin of Merit-it-es. In the inscriptions around this coffin, the name of Merit-it-es is habitually preceded by the epithet, “the Osiris,” effectively identifying her with the god of the Hereafter. In this subtle way, text and image work together to suggest that Merit-it-es, like the god Osiris, will have her final resting place protected by the great Memphite deity, Sokar, as she makes her journey across the night sky en route to her resurrection.   « Less

The funerary rites and rituals of Egypt are among the most elaborate and celebrated burial traditions in the ancient world. The foremost concern was the preservation of the  More »

The funerary rites and rituals of Egypt are among the most elaborate and celebrated burial traditions in the ancient world. The foremost concern was the preservation of the body, in order that it might be reborn in the afterlife. As mummification techniques became more and more advanced over time, so did the coffins become more and more elaborate. During the Middle Kingdom, mummy masks were made from plastered linen and became increasingly larger until they covered the entire upper body. Eventually, wooden mummy cases covering the entire body became the standard. These cases were created from a variety of materials, including stone, wood, and cartonnage, that were utilized depending upon the wealth and status of the deceased. Some of the earliest examples were relatively unadorned, featuring the general shape of the body highlighted by idealized facial details. Later, they evolved into ornate memorials that sought to recreate the specific appearance of the memorialized individual, both in terms of physical features as well as clothing and jewelry. Polychrome paint infused the works with color and the finest examples were gilt. This gorgeous wooden mummy case lid is a masterpiece of Ancient Egyptian art. The elegant form and intricate painted decorations are hallmarks of the Egyptian style. More than a mere artifact, this magnificent work is a symbol for the glories of Ancient Egypt, from the grandeur of the Pyramids to their vast pantheon of deities. Physically, this work demonstrates the capabilities of the carver as well as the technical precision of the painter. Spiritually, this sculpture stands for the complex religious beliefs that formed the foundation of the civilization. The form of the lid echoes the form of the mummified body that would have once rested inside. Aside from the face and the suggestion of feet, the body is highly abstract, reflecting the form of the wrapped mummy. Clearly, the most impressive aspect of this mummy case lid is the brilliant polychrome paint that decorates its surface. A virtual textbook on the funerary beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians, the iconography of the painting is filled with deities and symbols relating to the great beyond. The lid has been roughly divided into three zones: an upper zone depicting the face, wig, false beard and painted depictions of falcon heads crowned with solar discs representing the god Horus on each shoulder, a middle register containing an elegantly painted band of beaded necklaces with a depiction of the goddess Isis crowned with a solar disc kneeling with winged arms outstretched wide, and a lower zone dedicated to hieroglyphic text containing depictions of gods of the underworld. - (DV.033)   « Less

Papyrus Manuscript - CK.0650 Origin: Egypt Circa: 100 BC to 400 AD Dimensions: 7" (17.8cm) high x 11" (27.9cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Medium: Papyrus

Papyrus Manuscript - CK.0650 Origin: Egypt Circa: 100 BC to 400 AD Dimensions: 7" (17.8cm) high x 11" (27.9cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Medium: Papyrus   « Less