Origin: Syria Circa: 1900 BC to 1600 BC Dimensions: 2.375" (6.0cm) high Collection: Biblical Style: Canaanite Medium: Terracotta

Origin: Syria Circa: 1900 BC to 1600 BC Dimensions: 2.375" (6.0cm) high Collection: Biblical Style: Canaanite Medium: Terracotta   « Less

Origin: Israel Circa: 900 BC to 700 BC Collection: Biblical Antiquities Style: Iron age

Origin: Israel Circa: 900 BC to 700 BC Collection: Biblical Antiquities Style: Iron age   « Less

Origin: Sinai Circa: 3000 BC to 2000 BC Dimensions: 3.5" (8.9cm) high Collection: Biblical Antiquities Style: Biblical Condition: Very Fine

Origin: Sinai Circa: 3000 BC to 2000 BC Dimensions: 3.5" (8.9cm) high Collection: Biblical Antiquities Style: Biblical Condition: Very Fine   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 AD to 900 AD Dimensions: 2" (5.1cm) high x 2" (5.1cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Coptic Medium: Textile The weavers of Coptic Egypt  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 AD to 900 AD Dimensions: 2" (5.1cm) high x 2" (5.1cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Coptic Medium: Textile The weavers of Coptic Egypt created vibrant masterpieces in colored wool and silk to adorn the clothing of secular and ecclesiastic officials. This unusual circular fragment, once attached to a tunic, depicts a stylized human figure bent into an animal pose. It may represent the Biblical story of the madness of Nebuchadnezzar, or perhaps it is simply a comment on the human condition. Rendered in the bold lines and colors of early Christian art, it possesses the hypnotic, surreal quality of a dream. The centuries have in no way diminished its visual power. - (P.3613)   « Less

Decorated with bold geometry, this unusual vessel was probably used to serve beer at the height of the Phoenician empire. Beer, first invented in Mesopotamia, was a popular  More »

Decorated with bold geometry, this unusual vessel was probably used to serve beer at the height of the Phoenician empire. Beer, first invented in Mesopotamia, was a popular drink throughout the ancient world. Because it was fermented, it was often deemed safer to drink than water. Even children drank this weakened brew on a regular basis. A vessel such as this would have been used for serving beer from vats; the strainer filtering off impurities. In the presence of such an artifact, we are connected in an intimate way with the vanished world of the past. We can imagine those who gripped this vessel by its handle and poured, and those whose cups were filled from the spout. Such a vessel invites the imagination to take flight, to bring the ancient world to life. - (PF.2221)   « Less

Shaped like an abstract bird, this ancient votive seal was discovered with a cache of similar artifacts along the shores of Lake Van. Evoking the dawn of Western culture,  More »

Shaped like an abstract bird, this ancient votive seal was discovered with a cache of similar artifacts along the shores of Lake Van. Evoking the dawn of Western culture, these apparently were offerings at the shrine of some powerful nature god. The design that adorns them—of birds, animals, seated idols—probably stood in proxy for more costly sacrifices. Pressed into soft clay or wax, they would have created multiple images to win the favor of the god. It is possible that the bird, arecurringmotif, wasassociatedwiththeideaofthesoul.Carvedithabstractsimplicitybutanobservanteyetowardnature,thestarkvisualappealofthispieceistimeless.Thesesealsrepresent dreams, hopes and aspirations for health, success, andhappiness that are as old as civilization itself. - (D.0044)Bird Effigy Votive Seal with Intaglio - D.0044Origin: Lake Van, Anatolia Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BCDimensions: 2" (5.1cm) high x 2.75" (7.0cm) wide Collection: Near Eastern Style: Neolithic Medium: Dickite   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 400 AD to 700 AD Dimensions: 1.625" (4.1cm) high x 1.5" (3.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Coptic Medium: Bone Who held this delicate vessel  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 400 AD to 700 AD Dimensions: 1.625" (4.1cm) high x 1.5" (3.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Coptic Medium: Bone Who held this delicate vessel so long ago during the sunset of the Classical world? Did it sit perhaps among the cosmetics of a beautiful lady, who might have applied the dark kohl or ground malachite once held within to her eyelids? Today, this rare jar holds only the power to intrigue us, to take our imaginations on voyages to places that have long since vanished into the shadows of time. - (PF.0136)   « Less

Simple of form yet powerful of spirit, this anthropomorphic figurine speaks of the heart and mind of an ancient people. As we observe the figures curving breasts and swelling  More »

Simple of form yet powerful of spirit, this anthropomorphic figurine speaks of the heart and mind of an ancient people. As we observe the figures curving breasts and swelling hips we are reminded of the great goddess, the mother of all life who nourishes and enriches us one and all. Down through the ages her likeness has been rendered by man in all forms of media, however, nowhere is she interpreted as more potent than in this ceramic sculpture. Moreover, time has treated this figurine kindly, for the softly weathered finish on her surface further enhances the eternal qualities of this ancient female spirit. - (PF.2623A)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 400 AD to 600 AD Dimensions: 12.75" (32.4cm) high x 7" (17.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Coptic Medium: Textile Egypt was an important  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 400 AD to 600 AD Dimensions: 12.75" (32.4cm) high x 7" (17.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Coptic Medium: Textile Egypt was an important center for the early history of Christianity, a place where centuries of tradition mixed freely with new ideas and doctrines. Coptic art--that of Christian Egypt-- celebrated the still young faith with a vigorous and lively style. The weavers of textiles particularly excelled, as these rare fragments of a Christian tunic (perhaps a burial costume) show. We feel here the simple power and energy which was at the heart of the young church, the essence of belief still free of doubt. - (PF.0349a)   « Less

Throughout the Bronze Age, Egyptian culture strongly influenced the peoples of ancient Palestine, including the Philistines. Among the many customs borrowed from Egypt was  More »

Throughout the Bronze Age, Egyptian culture strongly influenced the peoples of ancient Palestine, including the Philistines. Among the many customs borrowed from Egypt was the tradition of burying deceased individuals of high rank in coffins modeled after the human form. Most probably, those interred in this fashion were Philistine aristocrats who emulated Egyptian ways, though it is possible that they might have been provincial officials of the Egyptian kingdom. This rare and magnificent terracotta mask, a fragment of a full-sized casket, depicts the face of man who stares back at us from beyond the grave. Although his features reveal the influence of Egyptian mummy cases, the high headdress suggests that this coffin is of Philistine origin. The modeling and painting are lively and quick, a local variation of the more refined Egyptian style. This bold expressionism gives the fragment a vital presence. Though the portrait is hardly an accurate one, it conveys the energy of a real human life, an energy still felt thousand of years later. - (X.0384)   « Less