In the time of the patriarch Abraham, this elegant vessel might have held fine oils or balms. In Genesis it says that Abraham anointed Isaac with oil, perhaps with a flask  More »

In the time of the patriarch Abraham, this elegant vessel might have held fine oils or balms. In Genesis it says that Abraham anointed Isaac with oil, perhaps with a flask like this. As we hold 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 shape and simple ornament appeal 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, we cross the bridge of time and set the imagination on a wondrous journey of discovery. - (PF.1811)   « Less

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had  More »

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had hallowed the tabernacle and Aaron the high priest before, and Abraham had sanctified Isaac. A vessel such as this--simple but elegant--may have contained oil for ritual use. Whose hands might have held it so long ago we can only guess; yet the connection is a direct one between our age and theirs. - (PF.1998)   « Less

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had  More »

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had hallowed the tabernacle and Aaron the high priest before, and Abraham had sanctified Isaac. A vessel such as this--simple but elegant--may have contained oil for ritual use. Whose might have held it so long ago we can only guess; yet the connection is a direct one between our age and theirs. - (PF.1999)   « Less

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had  More »

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had hallowed the tabernacle and Aaron the high priest before, and Abraham had sanctified Isaac. A vessel such as this--simple but elegant--may have contained oil for ritual use. Whose hands might have held it so long ago we can only guess; yet the connection is a direct one between our age and theirs. - (PF.2000)   « Less

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had  More »

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had hallowed the tabernacle and Aaron the high priest before, and Abraham had sanctified Isaac. A vessel such as this--simple but elegant--may have contained oil for ritual use. Whose hands might have held it so long ago we can only guess; yet the connection is a direct one between our age and theirs. - (PF.2001)   « Less

In the history of the ancient world, Bactria is somewhat of an anomaly: a Greek kingdom located in modern Afghanistan. When Alexander the Greatconqueredthe Persian Empire, he  More »

In the history of the ancient world, Bactria is somewhat of an anomaly: a Greek kingdom located in modern Afghanistan. When Alexander the Greatconqueredthe Persian Empire, he acquired all its outlying provinces including Bactria. Greek forces then established and maintained control in Bactria. After Alexander’s death, his kingdom wasdividedamong his generals and Bactria became part of the eastern section, ruled by the Seleucid Dynasty. There was extensive immigration of Greeks whofoundseveralcitiesbasedonthe Greek model complete with gymnasiums and amphitheatres. Later, the Greco-Bactria Kingdom asserted its independence and quickly expanded its holdings to the upper reaches ofthe Indus River Valley. The Greek Kingdom in Bactria lasted for another two centuries, until it was finally overwhelmed by nomadic tribesmeninvadingrromthecentral Asiansteppes. Bactrian Hammered Silver Bowl - PF.5880Origin: Afghanistan Circa: 400 BC to 100 BCDimensions: 4.25" (10.8cm) high x 10.125" (25.7cm) wide Collection: Near Easternstyle: Bactrian Medium: Silver   « Less

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had  More »

In Israel, as in other ancient nations, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had hallowed the tabernacle and Aaron the high priest before, and Abraham had sanctified Isaac. A vessel such as this--simple but elegant--may have contained oil for ritual use. Whose hands might have held it so long ago we can only guess; yet the connection is a direct one between our age and theirs. - (PF.2002)   « Less

In Israel, as in other ancient kingdoms, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses  More »

In Israel, as in other ancient kingdoms, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had hallowed the tabernacle and Aaron the high priest before, and Abraham had sanctified Isaac. A vessel such as this--simple but elegant--may have contained oil for ritual use. Whose hands might have held it so long ago we can only guess; yet the connection is a direct one between our age and theirs. - (PF.2003)   « Less

Although archaeological excavations reveal that the land of the Assyrians had been inhabited as early as 5000 B.C., it was not until the reign of King Sargon of Akkad in 2371  More »

Although archaeological excavations reveal that the land of the Assyrians had been inhabited as early as 5000 B.C., it was not until the reign of King Sargon of Akkad in 2371 B.C. that the Assyrians first rose to glory. Under Sargon, the kingdom rapidly expanded north to the city of Ashur and as far west as the Mediterranean, controlled by a central government based in Akkad. By 1813 B.C., King Shamshi-Adad I united the cities of Ashur, Nineveh, and Arbel into one cohesive administrative unit. These three cities, as well as Arrapkha and Kalhu (later known as Nimrud), form the historical core of the Assyrian Kingdom which would remain a credible force throughout the Mediterranean world for the next millennium. While various parts of Assyrian territory were annexed for brief periods of time by neighboring civilizations, this core remained firmly intact. The Assyrians experienced another Golden Age, lasting from the 9th until the 7th Century B.C. (this period is referred to as “Neo-Assyrian”). During this period, the kingdom grew to its largest extent, encompassing the lands from parts of modern Iran to the Mediterranean, from Anatolia to Egypt. However, it proved difficult even for the powerful Assyrian monarchs to maintain control over this vast territory for very long. By the end of the 7th Century, the Assyrian Kingdom began to collapse under the weight of assaults from the Babylonians to the south and the newly founded Medes Kingdom to the east. In 612 B.C., Nimrud burned for the second time in three years, followed by the sacking of Ashur and high Collection: Near Eastern Style: Assyrian Medium: Glazed Terracotta   « Less

The term Sassanid or Sassanian refers to the Persian dynasty (A.D. 224-651) and last line of Persian kings before the Arab conquest. The Sassanian era was marked by wars  More »

The term Sassanid or Sassanian refers to the Persian dynasty (A.D. 224-651) and last line of Persian kings before the Arab conquest. The Sassanian era was marked by wars against Romans, Armenians, and Huns and by the revival of Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion founded in the 6th Century B.C. This bronze horse reveals the fine craftsmanship of Sassanian artisans whose work rivals the quality of the finest Greek or Roman bronzes. All four legs of the horse are bent inwardly with their round, flaring hooves as it gallops away in a furry of movement. The body is well modeled complete with a thick, curving tail. The horse has been bridled and wears a thickly cushioned saddle on its back. The saddle blanket has been decorated with a cross- hatched pattern and lozenge-shaped saddle bags fall on either side. Perhaps the most attentive detail is the fact that none of the horse’s feet touch the ground. Frozen in full stride, the horse gallops and appears as if flying. This fact was forgotten until 1877 when photographer Eadweard Muybridge demonstrated through his stop-motion technique that when a horse runs, there is a moment when all of the animal's feet are off the ground, and that the feet are tucked beneath the animal at that moment. How much more impressive that the Sassanian artist responsible for this horse was aware of a detail we know only know through the creation of the camera. - (FZ.357)Sassanid Eastern Style: Sassanid Medium: Bronze   « Less