Created during the time of the Hebrew patriarchs, just prior to Moses, this elegant vessel might have held a drink offering, or perhaps served as a pouring vessel, or  More »

Created during the time of the Hebrew patriarchs, just prior to Moses, this elegant vessel might have held a drink offering, or perhaps served as a pouring vessel, or decanter for water or wine. As we hold it 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 unadorned shape appeals 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 journey of discovery. - (SP.272)   « Less

Created in the age of the Biblical patriarchs, this vase possesses a graceful design that incorporates an inward sweep just below a carinated lip. When the servant of Isaac  More »

Created in the age of the Biblical patriarchs, this vase possesses a graceful design that incorporates an inward sweep just below a carinated lip. When the servant of Isaac met Rebecca returning from the well (Genesis 24), she might have been carrying water in a vessel such as this one. Its elegant form reminds us of mankind's age-old desire to surround himself with a beauty that outshines mere function. It is so easy to imagine this jug perched atop the head of some ancient woman as she went, laughing with her friends, to collect water. - (SP.273)   « Less

Sculpted in basalt in very bold relief, the composition depicts a ruler standing in his chariot about to shoot an arrow from his bow. He is accompanied to the right by his  More »

Sculpted in basalt in very bold relief, the composition depicts a ruler standing in his chariot about to shoot an arrow from his bow. He is accompanied to the right by his charioteer, only the top of whose head is preserved, and on his left, by an image in reduced scale of his queen who holds a floral-like attribute in her upraised hand. The lanceolate-tipped element behind her head is a spear. One of the king’s retainerswalks on the ground behind the chariot carrying a floral attribute in one hand and a vessel in the other; the field beneath his elbow is filled with smaller motifs which are difficult to interpret butmayperhapsbeenpartofaninscription.Hittite Relief-LO.635Origin:Anatolian Plateau Circa: 800 BC to 600 BCDimensions: 15.5" (39.4cm) high x 22.5" (57.2cm) wide Collection: Near Eastern Style: Hittite Medium: Basalt   « 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.As we hold it 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 unadorned shape appeals 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, the centuries melt away and the imagination sets out on a journey of discovery. - (SP.275)   « 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. As we hold it 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 unadorned shape appeals 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, the centuries melt away and the imagination sets out on a journey of discovery. - (SP.277)   « 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. As we hold it 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 unadorned shape appeals 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, the centuries melt away and the imagination sets out on a journey of discovery. - (SP.278)   « Less

Inscribed with magic texts, these bowls were used to ward off evil spirits and protect family and property. Unearthed at relatively high levels of excavation, they were  More »

Inscribed with magic texts, these bowls were used to ward off evil spirits and protect family and property. Unearthed at relatively high levels of excavation, they were neglected by the nineteenth century pioneers of Mesopotamian archaeology who were more interested in discovering palace foundations and large-scale sculpture. In more recent years however their importance has been recognised and they have been studied in-depth.The incantations were written in a variety of Aramaicdialectsincluding Jewish Aramaic, Mandaic and Syriac. There are also examples writtenin Pseudo-script, presumably by less literate scribes. Although the texts are not dated they are generally assigned to the late Sassanian/ early Islamic period (6th-8th century A.D.). Their main function was to trap evil spirits and they were often placed upside down at the corners of rooms, or built into foundations or cemeteries. The texts sometimes instruct them to be placed ‘at the four corners (of theroom)’forextraprotection.Thenamesoftheclientsfor whom the bowls were made can be dividedintotwomaincategories-Semiticand Persian. However this is not always a reliable guide to their ethnicity. Jewish influence on the Mandaic inscriptions was minimal but is pronounced in the Aramaic incantations.Many of the scribes may have been Jewishortrainedby Jews,andthe Hebrew Bibleisfrequently quoted.Terracotta Incantation Bowl-LO.649Origin:Israel Circa:500ADto800ADDimensions: 3" (7.6cm) high x 8" (20.3cm)depth Collection:Near Eastern Art Medium:Terracotta   « 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. As we hold it 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 unadorned shape appeals 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, the centuries melt away and the imagination sets out on a journey of discovery. - (SP.280)   « Less

Created just prior to the time of the Hebrew patriarchs, this elegant vessel might have held a drink offering, or perhaps served as a pouring vessel, or decanter for water or  More »

Created just prior to the time of the Hebrew patriarchs, this elegant vessel might have held a drink offering, or perhaps served as a pouring vessel, or decanter for water or wine. As we hold it 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 unadorned shape appeals 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 journey of discovery. - (SP.281)   « Less

The highly stylised figure is seated and holds a bowl in his right hand, thefeetindicated in a rectangular recess below, with long grooved beard and centrally parted  More »

The highly stylised figure is seated and holds a bowl in his right hand, thefeetindicated in a rectangular recess below, with long grooved beard and centrally parted hairfalling ingroovedstraightstrandsovertheshouldersandforehead.Provenance:Noriyoshi Horiuchi, Tokyo Cf. Bossert, Altsyrien, p. 140, no. 449. - (LA.549)Basalt Figure of a Divinity - LA.549Origin:Syria Circa:1200BCto800BCDimensions:28.125"(71.4cm)high Collection: Near Eastern Antiquities Style: Tell Halaf Medium: Basalt   « Less