In antiquity, there was a thriving trade between the peoples of Cyprus and Palestine. This charming vessel was perhaps exported from "the island of copper" carrying oil or  More »

In antiquity, there was a thriving trade between the peoples of Cyprus and Palestine. This charming vessel was perhaps exported from "the island of copper" carrying oil or wine. The bold, abstract geometry that decorates it seems to convey the lively spirit of the people through whose hands it passed so long ago. We remember that these were individuals who laughed and sang, talked, argued and loved. In appearance they were similar to us, though their vision of the world was vastly different. This pot links us directly to that ancient world. Our hands rest where other hands did in Biblical times; the energy, the bond, is there to be felt. - (P.0519)   « Less

One of the first creatures domesticated by man was the Zebu, the humpbacked ox it was considered aworthysacrifice to the gods. This small bronze votive may have been offered  More »

One of the first creatures domesticated by man was the Zebu, the humpbacked ox it was considered aworthysacrifice to the gods. This small bronze votive may have been offered in place of the real animal to win thefavorsoftheheavens. It depicts the Zebureducedtoitsessence:horns,hump,tail.Thehumanhopesanddreamsitrepresentshavenotlosttheir magic with thepassageoftime.-(FZ.211)Bronze Zebu Bull Amulet - FZ.211Origin:Afghanistan Circa:2000 BC to 1500 BCDimensions: 1.125" (2.9cm) high x .625" (1.6cm) wide Collection: Near Eastern Style: Bronze Age Medium:Bronze   « Less

One of the first creatures domesticated by man was the Zebu, the humpbacked ox it was considered aworthysacrifice to the gods. This small bronze votive may have been offered  More »

One of the first creatures domesticated by man was the Zebu, the humpbacked ox it was considered aworthysacrifice to the gods. This small bronze votive may have been offered in place of the real animal to win thefavorsoftheheavens. It depicts the Zebureducedtoitsessence:horns,hump,tail.Thehumanhopesanddreamsitrepresentshavenotlosttheir magic with thepassageoftime.-(FZ.211)Bronze Zebu Bull Amulet - FZ.211Origin:Afghanistan Circa:2000 BC to 1500 BCDimensions: 1.125" (2.9cm)highx625(1.6cm)wide Collection:Near Eastern Style:Bronze Age Medium:Bronze In most traditional Indo-Europeanpantheons,thestagisnotaparticularlysignificant animal. However, in Classical times, the stag was of paramount importance to the Scythians and other nomadic peoples of the Eurasian steppes. The standard subject of Scythian gold jewelry, the stag has even been found tattooed on the "ice princess," discovered in the Altai Mountains. Here, her frozen body was recovered with Scythian style stags still plainly visible on her skin. We can only guess how ubiquitous this iconography must have been, ornamenting clothes and other perishable material. Over a thousand years before, the stag was a favored motif of the Kurgan peoples. As a wild and majestic animal, we should not doubt that the genesis of this deity's veneration is very ancient, likely beginning long before the Neolithic period. This remarkable vessel, originating in the ancient Anatolian/Persian steppes, reveals the sacred status of this majestic creature. Four stags appear, interspersed between the two loop handles that arch from the lip of the mouth to the shoulders of the body of the vessel. The body has been vertically ribbed, emanating from the legs and horns of the stags as if they stood on stilts. Revered as a deity, the stag embodied the natural forces of the world that are beyond the control of man. Thus, as an ornament, the stag symbolizes mankind’s desire to understand the natural order of the world. Appearing as if copied from a cave wall, the stags that decorate this vessel sound the echoes of the birth of civilization. No doubt revered for many millennia in the Eurasian steppes,thestagismorethanananimal;itisman’sinherentquesttocomprehendlife,aquestthatfirstbroughtusoutofthecavesandcarriedustowardscivilization. - (PF.6115)Bronze Age Vessel with a Stag Motif - PF.6115Origin: Eurasian Steppes Circa:1750BCto1250BCDimensions:5.5(14.0cm)high Collection:Near Eastern Style:Bronze Age Medium:Terracotta   « Less

Elegant figurine of a fish depicted with a sunken eye,openjawsandaverticalperforation  More »

Elegant figurine of a fish depicted with a sunken eye,openjawsandaverticalperforation possiblyusedforhanging.Thebackfeaturesanelaboratesceneinintagliowithhornedanimalsandwhatwouldlooklikesmallflyingbirds.-(LO.1095)Votive Seal with Intaglio in the Shape of a Fish - LO.1095Origin: Central Asia Circa: 3000 BCto2700BCDimensions: 1.625" (4.1cm) high Collection: Near Eastern Style: Jemdet Nasr Medium: White Stone   « Less

Terracotta Jug with Elongated Spout - LO.1107Origin: Transcaucasia Circa: 1500 BC to 1200 BCDimensions: 8.25" (21.0cm) high Collection: Central Asia Medium: Terracotta

Terracotta Jug with Elongated Spout - LO.1107Origin: Transcaucasia Circa: 1500 BC to 1200 BCDimensions: 8.25" (21.0cm) high Collection: Central Asia Medium: Terracotta   « Less

The Old Babylonianperioddescribessouth Mesopotamianheperiodabout2000-1600 BC. The early years saw a number of important states dominating the region: Isin, Larsa, Eshnunna  More »

The Old Babylonianperioddescribessouth Mesopotamianheperiodabout2000-1600 BC. The early years saw a number of important states dominating the region: Isin, Larsa, Eshnunna and, from 1894 BC, Babylon. Babylon was ruled by a dynasty of Amorite kings. The sixth ruler was Hammurapi, who defeated the other southern tates and expanded his control into north Mesopotamia. On the empire gradually shrank over about .Nonetheless,Babylon remained an important power until it was sacked by the Hittite king, Mursili I, in about 1595 BC. During the Old Babylonian period literary activity flourished with scribes composing and recording religious, poetic and 'scientific' works in Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform. Perhaps the most famous monument is the stele of Hammurapi, now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris. Ceramic plaques were mass-produced from moulds and represent a form of art available to a wide audience. The casting of plaques was a simple and inexpensive way to produce relief images, since numerous plaques could be made from a single mold. They have been excavated in temples as well as household shrines in private homes. Their subject matter varies widely, including religious images, mythological and erotic scenes, and representations of rulers and gods.   « Less

The Old Babylonian period describes south Mesopotamiaintheperiodabout2000-1600 BC. The early years saw a number of importantstatesdominatingtheregion:Isin,Larsa, Eshnunna  More »

The Old Babylonian period describes south Mesopotamiaintheperiodabout2000-1600 BC. The early years saw a number of importantstatesdominatingtheregion:Isin,Larsa, Eshnunna and, from 1894 BC, Babylon. Babylon was ruledbyadynastyof Amoritekings. The sixth ruler was Hammurapi, who defeated the other southern states and expanded his control into north Mesopotamia. On the death of Hammurapi the empire gradually shrank over about 150 years. Nonetheless, Babylon remained an important power until it was sacked by the Hittite king, Mursili I, in about 1595 BC. During the Old Babylonian period literary activity flourished with scribes composing and recording religious, poetic and 'scientific' works in Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform. Perhaps the most famous monument is the stele of Hammurapi, now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.Old Babylonian Clay Moulded Plaque of a Standing Deity - LO.1159Origin: Mesopotamia Circa: 2000 BC to 1700 BCDimensions: 7" (17.8cm) high Collection: Near Eastern Art Style: Old Babylonian Medium: baked clay   « Less

Terracotta Jug with Elongated Spout - LO.1107Origin: Transcaucasia Circa: 1500 BC to 1200 BCDimensions: 8.25" (21.0cm) high Collection: Central Asia Medium: Terracotta The  More »

Terracotta Jug with Elongated Spout - LO.1107Origin: Transcaucasia Circa: 1500 BC to 1200 BCDimensions: 8.25" (21.0cm) high Collection: Central Asia Medium: Terracotta The Old Babylonian period describes south Mesopotamia between 2000 BC and 1600 BC. The early years saw a number of important states dominating the region: Isin,Larsa, Eshnunna and, from 1894 BC, Babylon. Babylon was ruled by a dynasty ofmoritekings.Thesixthrulerwas Hammurapi, who defeated the other southern states and expanded his control into north Mesopotamia. On the deathof Hammurapi the empire gradually shrank over about 150 years. Nonetheless, Babylon remained an important power until it was sacked by the Hittite king, Mursili I, in about 1595 BC. During the Old Babylonian period literary activity flourished with scribes composing andrecordingreligious,poeticand'scientific'worksin Sumerianand Akkadiancuneiform.Perhaps the most famous monument is the stele of Hammurapi, now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.   « Less

The Old Babylonian period describes southern Mesopotamia in the period about 2000-1600 BC. The early years saw a number of important states dominating the region: Isin,  More »

The Old Babylonian period describes southern Mesopotamia in the period about 2000-1600 BC. The early years saw a number of important states dominating the region: Isin, Larsa, Eshnunna and, from 1894 BC, Babylon. Babylon was ruled by a dynasty of Amorite kings. The sixth ruler was Hammurapi, who defeated the other southern states and expanded his control into north Mesopotamia. On the death of Hammurapi the empire gradually shrank over about 150 years. Nonetheless, Babylon remained an important power until it was sacked by the Hittite king, Mursili I, in about 1595 BC. During the Old Babylonian period literary activity flourished with scribes composing and recording religious, poetic and 'scientific' works in Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform. Perhaps the most famous monument is the stele of Hammurapi,nowinthe Muséedu Louvre,Paris.Old Babylonian Clay Mould With Standing Deity LO.1161Origin:Mesopotamia Circa:2000BCto1700BCDimensions:5.5(14.0cm)high Collection:Near Eastern Art Style:Old Babylonian Medium: Terracotta   « Less

The Old Babylonian period describes southern Mesopotamia in the period about 2000-1600 BC. The early years saw a number of important states dominating the region: Isin,  More »

The Old Babylonian period describes southern Mesopotamia in the period about 2000-1600 BC. The early years saw a number of important states dominating the region: Isin, Larsa, Eshnunna and, from 1894 BC, Babylon. Babylon was ruled by a dynasty of Amorite kings. The sixth ruler was Hammurapi, who defeated the other southern states and expanded his control into north Mesopotamia. On the death of Hammurapi the empire gradually shrank over about 150 years. Nonetheless, Babylon remained an important power until it was sacked by the Hittite king, Mursili I, in about 1595 BC. During the Old Babylonian period literary activity flourished with scribes composing and recording religious, poetic and 'scientific' works in Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform. Perhaps the most famous monument is the stele of Hammurapi,nowinthe Muséedu Louvre,Paris.Old Babylonian Clay Mould With Standing Deity-LO.1162Origin: Mesopotamia Circa: 2000 BC to 1700 BCDimensions: 5.5" (14.0cm)high Collection:Near Eastern Art Style:Old Babylonian Medium: Terracotta   « Less