This magical tablet is of rectangular form with rounded corners, cut from sheet lead. Slight corrugation and differential corrosion on the back suggest that it may once have  More »

This magical tablet is of rectangular form with rounded corners, cut from sheet lead. Slight corrugation and differential corrosion on the back suggest that it may once have been rolled or folded, but the surface has not been stressed or cracked. It is largely complete and most of the missing text can be restored. Overall this is very well-preserved and there are few difficulties. It consists of 33 lines of minute but well-formed Greek letters which can be dated to the fourth century AD.The inscribed text is an elaborate binding spell repeated with variations four times, with intervening sequences of magical words. It is directed against three named athletes, Antiokhos, Hierax and Kastor, evidently runners, whose feet, sinews, and other attributes are ‘bound’ so as to ensure their failure ‘in the stadium.’   « Less

The surface of this gorgeous marble sculpture has been covered with a thick encrusted patina. The forms of the encrustation indicate that the work was submerged underwater  More »

The surface of this gorgeous marble sculpture has been covered with a thick encrusted patina. The forms of the encrustation indicate that the work was submerged underwater for a significant portion of its history. Parts of the surface, in fact, seem to be carved from a coral reef. Some of the most important works of Ancient Greek art have been found underwater, including the famed Riace warriors. From the positioning of his limbs, we can tell that this young man was originally standing with his weight resting on his right leg. His left thigh projects slightly forward and his left shoulder is slightly lower than his right. In a typical Hellenistic fashion, the artist has chosen to represent this man in a moment of repose. Was this work once placed atop a seaside cliff, only to tumble into the waves during a natural disaster or perhaps a period of civil unrest. In some cases, works of art have been buried underwater when ancient vessels transporting commercial merchandize crashed at the bottom of the sea. Is it possible that this work was in the midst of being transported from the sculptor’s studio to the residence of a faraway patron? Resurrected from the deep, this magnificent sculpture is a testament to the creativity and innovation of the Hellenistic era. - (X.0397)   « Less

Our knowledge about the Etruscan civilization is extremely limited. Our understanding of their language is still incomplete and most of the information that is known comes to  More »

Our knowledge about the Etruscan civilization is extremely limited. Our understanding of their language is still incomplete and most of the information that is known comes to us through the Romans, their one-time subjects who grew to become their masters. The Etruscans lived under a series of autonomous city-states spread out across northern and central Italy. By the 3rd Century B.C., they would be absorbed into the burgeoning Roman Empire.The evolution of Etruscan pottery follows the major artistic developments as they occurred throughout the Classical era. Before the 6th Century B.C., the island of Corinth, with their distinctive black-figure wares, dominated the lucrative pottery export trade. Corinthian wares were traded throughout the Mediterranean, and the vivid painting style became extraordinarily popular. Etruscan potters began to imitate the designs of their Corinthian counterparts to meet the demands of the local market.   « Less

One can hardly overstate the profound significance of the seas for the ancient peoples of the Mediterranean. For the Greeks situated in the insulated enclaves of Attica and  More »

One can hardly overstate the profound significance of the seas for the ancient peoples of the Mediterranean. For the Greeks situated in the insulated enclaves of Attica and the Peloponnese, the Aegean provided a lifeline to the myriad cultures on their periphery. A source of bountiful resources and inestimable wealth, the Mediterranean beckoned the Greeks to establish trade routes and colonies far beyond their rocky shores, proliferating Hellenic civilization in the West. In homage to Poseidon—the fearsome overlord of the oceans—Hellenic peoples created devotional icons expressing their gratitude for the abundant gifts of the ocean. This remarkable sculpture of a fish originates between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC, a period when the Roman Republic emerged as a major world power. Crafted in terracotta, the ancient artist has produced a stunning network of scales with a glossy, golden finish that echo the intricacy and detail of life. Nearly a foot wide, this charming sculpture survives as an enduring testament to the importance of the sea in the popular culture of Hellenic civilization, and continued earnestly in Mediterranean cuisine. The ancient Greeks, like their modern descendants, were great sailors and fisherman. Clearly, whoever created this extraordinary work, was intimately acquainted with marine life. Perhaps this handsome fish memorialized a prized catch—the ancient equivalent of a taxidermic trophy. As with so many treasures from the ancient world, original function is a matter of conjecture and for many artifacts we simply do not—nor likely ever will—understand their purpose. As a symbol, the fish has meant many things to many people. For the Christians, the fish represents an effervescent life force, a symbol of the spiritual world that lies beneath the world of appearances. Ancient peoples often associated fish with birds, as both creatures could astraddle the partition between heaven and earth. With the ability to produce an extraordinary quantity of eggs, fish also came to represent fecundity and cyclic regeneration. Across all cultures and epochs, the relationship between man and animal—civilization and nature—has been expressed in the most glorious works of human creation, like this endearing fish. It is a universal theme, an eternal condition as pertinent for the human race today, as for our ancestors eons ago. - (LO.552)   « Less

This marvelous third to second century B.C. “sand-core” formed amphoriskos – with its multicolored ribbons - is a delightful example of a visual style that  More »

This marvelous third to second century B.C. “sand-core” formed amphoriskos – with its multicolored ribbons - is a delightful example of a visual style that was popular at that time and would last well into the Roman period. Prior to the advent of glass blowing techniques pioneered by the Romans in the late Republic, cultures of the Mediterranean that practiced glass forming usually did so by winding molten strands of glass around a removable core. It was previously thought that such a technique employed a sand core, but it has now been recognized that more probably a core of straw- tempered mud was used, around which the glass would be formed. It is this visual impression of ribbons of colored glass that would influence the blown ribbon glass vessels of the early Roman principate.This amphoriskos, with its swelling, broad- bellied midriff and sloping shoulder, leading from a tiny pedestal to a slender neck, flanked by two graceful handles, atop which sits a stout lip, displays a pastiche of blacks and reds interspersed with white, scalloped and spiraled around the vessel’s equator, appearing somewhat like a drapery of cloth. What sweet wines or perfumes may have graced the interior of this vessel, purchased by a husband, perhaps as a gift for his wife, or brought as a gift by honored guests? The dedication and skill of the craftsmen that formed this glass vessel are contained in the frozen, flowing rivers of color that comprise its walls and dazzle the eyes of the modern viewer, in much the same way that they must have bedazzled the ancient Mediterranean viewers as well.   « Less

Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty, and deception, is depicted in an unusual attitude reclining on her side. She props up her body and supports its weight on her left elbow.  More »

Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty, and deception, is depicted in an unusual attitude reclining on her side. She props up her body and supports its weight on her left elbow. The fingers of her left hand suggest that she was holding an attribute, perhaps to be identified as a wine vessel. Her right arm is elegantly stretched out along the contour of her body, its fingers gingerly resting on the lower part of her thigh. In keeping with ancient conventions of beauty, the goddess is both full-figured and corpulent, with emphasis placed on her hips and breasts. Of particular note are the so-called “rings of Venus” on her neck. She is shown turning her head to the spectator’s right and casts the glance of her originally inlaid eyes down and to the side. The small, full lips of her mouth and the treatment of her chin imbue the image with an eternally seductive quality.Marble statuettes of this type are well-attested in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire and are particularly associated with Syria, as the numerous examples in the national museum at Damascus so amply demonstrate. Few of those examples, however, depict Aphrodite in this particular pose, and fewer still are possessed of the artistic quality of our erotically-charged example. Our reclining Aphrodite is also a significant art historical document because it stands at the head of a long series of Western representations of aristocratic women in the guise of Aphrodite reclining. These icons of Western art include Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres’ Odalisque (1814, Musée du Louvre, Paris) and, of course, Antonio Canova’s Pauline Borghese as Venus (1808, the Borghese Gallery, Rome).   « Less

This high-relief piece depicts the head (and low- relief body) of a bearded man of uncertain identity, although he may be either a religious figure such as John the Baptist,  More »

This high-relief piece depicts the head (and low- relief body) of a bearded man of uncertain identity, although he may be either a religious figure such as John the Baptist, or perhaps one of the Late Byzantine emperors. The Greek inscription suggests that the piece played a protective role, perhaps in a high-status household: LIKINNIS NENEDOS BOTRANOS APEDOKA TO DIEITEN EUKHEN HUPER SOTERIAS TES OIKIAS Translation: Likinnis Nenedos Botranos: I have given prayer [offering] for safety of the house. - (X.0724)   « Less

The Ancient Egyptian oracle god Amun had his main sanctuary in the Siwa oasis, some five hundred kilometers west of Memphis. Originally, the Libyan desert tribes worshipped a  More »

The Ancient Egyptian oracle god Amun had his main sanctuary in the Siwa oasis, some five hundred kilometers west of Memphis. Originally, the Libyan desert tribes worshipped a god in the form of a ram here. Eventually, the cult was overtaken by the Egyptians who identified the god with their supreme deity Amun. The first Greeks to visit the shrine came from the city-state of Cyrenaica, calling the god Zeus Ammon. Historical texts indicate that the cult began to spread outside of Egypt by the 6th Century B.C. During the 5th Century, the poet Pindar glorified Zeus Ammon in odes and Greek military commanders sent delegations to Siwa to consult the oracle before embarking upon campaigns. By the time of Alexander’s conquest of Egypt, the oracle was a compulsory stop. Alexander considered himself the divine offspring of Zeus, and thereby Zeus Ammon. As a divine king, Alexander was a worthy successor to the pharaoh. In effect, his visit to the oracle was more political than religious. Yet Alexander was more than happy to play up this association and was even said to wear the horns of the ram during public occassions to honor his father Zeus Ammon. He would be depicted this way on much of his coinage.This small, round gold applique depicts a bust of Zeus Ammon slightly turned to the left. His hair is parted down the middle. Curls cover his forehead and flow into the spiraling ram horns of Amun. Yet, he also has the long beard and stoical features of Zeus. This gorgeous applique was once likely a central element in a piece of jewelry. Although it was crafted in Alexandria, it may have been intended for a far away port where this deity was also worshipped. - (LO.630)   « Less

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 400 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 10.5" (26.7cm) high Collection: Classical Antiquities Style: Boeotian

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 400 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 10.5" (26.7cm) high Collection: Classical Antiquities Style: Boeotian   « Less

This helmet, molded from sheet bronze, belongs to a very prominent style of Greek military head protection. The open-faced, Illyrian style of helmet developed parallel to  More »

This helmet, molded from sheet bronze, belongs to a very prominent style of Greek military head protection. The open-faced, Illyrian style of helmet developed parallel to other forms of Greek helmet, including the Corinthian and Attic styles. Elements held in common with these others can be detected here. One may notice the short, gently sloping neck-guard at the rear of this example, which is shared with both the Corinthian and Attic styles, as well as the integral cheek-guards held in common with the Corinthian type. One of the distinguishing features of the Illyrian style is the open-faced design which provided less protection for the face, but afforded much more visibility than the closed-faced, Corinthian style. The origins of the Illyrian style can be seen in similar examples that date as far back as the eighth or ninth centuries B.C.Another distinguishing feature of the current model of Illyrian helm is the raised, central ridge that sits longitudinally along the center of the cranium. This feature, along with the stud and ring that are affixed in front of the brow and in the rear at the occiput, may indicate that this helmet was intended originally to be worn fitted with a crest of horsehair, a common feature of many ancient helmets that was used to intimidate the enemy. Around the eges of the helm, there is a decorative border of dots flanked by lines, in repoussee, effectively framing the face.Judging by the date of the current example, one is tempted to wonder what armies the original wearer may have served with. Perhaps a helm such as this witnessed the rise of the Macedonian Kingdom, or the fall of various city states in its wake. - (LO.657)   « Less