The subtle, textured geometry of this vessel's surface was perhaps designed so that it could be gripped better in the hand. Its perfumed contents could then be shaken out  More »

The subtle, textured geometry of this vessel's surface was perhaps designed so that it could be gripped better in the hand. Its perfumed contents could then be shaken out through the tiny neck hole as a benediction at festivals and ceremonies. Centuries have passed, time has added character to the surface, and yet one can still perceive the faint glow of that ancient hand upon it... - (G.0090)   « Less

Perhaps this delightfully simple vessel once belonged among the perfumes and cosmetics of a fashionable beauty of the Roman era. With slender fingers, she would have applied  More »

Perhaps this delightfully simple vessel once belonged among the perfumes and cosmetics of a fashionable beauty of the Roman era. With slender fingers, she would have applied its soothing contents to her soft skin. Today, the empty jar seems radiant with the memory of the loveliness it witnessed long ago, so much so that it has become a rare treasure itself. - (G.0096)   « Less

When the Roman Empire was in its sunset, this elegantly simple vessel contained perfumed waters to be sprinkled on celebrants at some unknown rite. Today it seems redolent  More »

When the Roman Empire was in its sunset, this elegantly simple vessel contained perfumed waters to be sprinkled on celebrants at some unknown rite. Today it seems redolent with a faint, lovely scent of melancholy--as if wondering why great monuments crumble, but a delicate glass vessel remains intact. - (G.0097)   « Less

When great palaces and temples have fallen to the ravages of time, it seems somehow a miracle that delicate glass like this should have come through the ages intact and even  More »

When great palaces and temples have fallen to the ravages of time, it seems somehow a miracle that delicate glass like this should have come through the ages intact and even more beautiful than when it was formed. We delight in its subtle brilliance, which shines like a beacon of eternal optimism in a world full of uncertainty. - (G.0098)   « Less

Whose hand, we wonder, in the waning years of Rome's greatness, grasped these slender handles to sprinkle the scented water within upon the world? Did that person admire, as  More »

Whose hand, we wonder, in the waning years of Rome's greatness, grasped these slender handles to sprinkle the scented water within upon the world? Did that person admire, as we do, the graceful swirling patterns of the glass, the pleasing wholeness of its shape? This lovely object becomes a direct link to that ancient life, with whom we surely share--at the least--an appreciation for exquisite beauty. - (G.0102)   « Less

Surely if the perfume that once filled this exquisite vessel was as lovely as the container itself, then it must have been a rare and delicate fragrance indeed. Yet, while  More »

Surely if the perfume that once filled this exquisite vessel was as lovely as the container itself, then it must have been a rare and delicate fragrance indeed. Yet, while the scent of those ancient blossoms has vanished in the winds of time, the fragile glass has added character to its original beauty. Empty, it seems to anticipate the melancholy, romantic perfume of imagination, an ephemeral whiff of the vanished glories of antiquity. - (G.0104)   « Less

What rare delicacy must once have been contained in this elegant bowl? Sorbets of snow from the mountains of Lebanon flavored with fruit syrups from Persia? The first,  More »

What rare delicacy must once have been contained in this elegant bowl? Sorbets of snow from the mountains of Lebanon flavored with fruit syrups from Persia? The first, blushing berries of some ancient spring, plucked from the Judean hills? Surely the elegance of the contents must have matched that of the bowl, which seems a fitting receptacle for the stuff of dreams. - (G.0109)   « Less

At the height of the classical age, some well- born woman adorned herself with fragrance contained in this slender vase. It was perhaps attar of roses, or jasmine, and was no  More »

At the height of the classical age, some well- born woman adorned herself with fragrance contained in this slender vase. It was perhaps attar of roses, or jasmine, and was no doubt costly, as rare things have always been. If we hold it to our nose--as she did so long ago--we can almost smell those ancient flowers as we lose ourselves in the sad, sweet perfume of reverie. - (G.0119)   « Less

It is difficult to say what about this gorgeous vase is more fascinating: its advanced age or its fresh aesthetic appeal. When we realize how long ago it was created, we are  More »

It is difficult to say what about this gorgeous vase is more fascinating: its advanced age or its fresh aesthetic appeal. When we realize how long ago it was created, we are amazed that it has survived the perils of time. We are also in awe of its simple grace, which delights us today as it must have pleased its original owners when Rome still ruled the world. A piece that truly defines the word "classic". - (G.0129)   « Less

Samanid Slip Painted Bowl - AMD.49, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 800 AD to 1000 AD, Dimensions: 2.5" (6.4cm) high x 7.1" (18.0cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style:  More »

Samanid Slip Painted Bowl - AMD.49, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 800 AD to 1000 AD, Dimensions: 2.5" (6.4cm) high x 7.1" (18.0cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Samanid Ware, Medium: Glazed Pottery. The first indigenous Muslim dynasty to rule Iran following the Arab conquest, the Samanid Dynasty was founded in 819 A.D. by Saman- Khuda, a Persian vassal of the Abbasid Empire. However, not until the reign of Saman-Khuda’s great-grandson, Ismail I (892-907 A.D.), did Samanid power become extensive, eventually spreading outside of Iran and into Central Asia. The coins of the Samanids were used throughout North Asia, revealing their enormous influence on the region. Today, the Samanid Dynasty is renown as a time of cultural flourishing, especially in regards to the arts of poetry and pottery. The capital of Bukhara was also one of the cultural centers of the empire, along with the cities of Samarkand and Nishapur. Perhaps their most important influence on Islamic art was the Samanid innovation of slip painting that allowed for more refined, controlled glazed decorations on terracotta vessels and tiles. The Samanid Dynasty was a period of nationalism, where the Persian people regained power from the hands of foreign invaders. While Samanid power gradually waned throughout the 10th century in response to the rise of Turkic power in Central Asia and Afghanistan, during their rule the foundations of a native Iranian Islamic culture were firmly established.   « Less