Sasanian Chalcedony Stamp Seal with Fire Altar

Archives: Regional Art: Ancient World Pre AD 1000: item #595004

Long an opponent of the Roman and Byzantine empires, the Sasanian empire (AD 224-642) was the last independent Persian monarchy before the Arab conquest of Western Asia in the 7th Century AD. The Sasanian Dynasty began with a regional ruler in the province of Fars in southwest Iran, whose empire eventually stretched from India to the Black Sea after defeating the last of the Parthian emperors. The state religion was Zoroastrianism and many seals bear testament to the importance of this faith in ... Click for details

Ancient Egyptian Scarab with Crowned Horus Falcon

Archives: Regional Art: Ancient World: Egyptian Pre AD 1000: item #591846

This scarab features a horus falcon wearing the double crown. To the left is a nefer glyph, meaning “good” or “beautiful.” This asymmetrical arrangement of patterns around a horus falcon is a well-known motif from the Second Intermediate Period; for many similar, see Tufnell’s “Studies on Scarab Seals, vol. II: Scarab Seals and their Contribution to History in the Early Second Millennium B.C.,” Type A4 (Horus Falcon and Other Signs). ... Click for details

Ancient Egyptian Scarab with Recumbent Sphinx

Archives: Regional Art: Ancient World: Egyptian Pre AD 1000: item #591842

This nice faience scarab dates to the New Kingdom and features a large sphinx, a common symbol of the pharaoh. A “mn” glyph sits in the top left quadrant, and a second mark in front of the sphinx’s face may be an unidentified schematic. Interestingly, this type of arrangement with the sphinx and two hieroglyphs is well known in the New Kingdom and is frequently translated as a cryptogram spelling the name of the god Amun. For parallels, see Matouk, “Corpus du scarabee egyptien, vol II: Les scarab... Click for details

Ancient Egyptian Scarab Amulet, "ANRA" type

Archives: Regional Art: Ancient World: Egyptian Pre AD 1000: item #591840

This scarab belongs to a special category of scarabs that carry the hieroglyphic symbols for the letters “a-n-r” (sometimes known as “anra” scarabs) from the Second Intermediate Period. Scholars are somewhat divided over the interpretation of this pattern; some take it as a spelling of the name of Re, the solar god, whereas others believe it to be a nonsensical device adopted by the Asiatic or Hyksos craftsmen who imitated Egyptian symbols without understanding their meaning. For similar, see Da... Click for details

Superb Roman Cosmetic Spoon & Probe

Archives: Regional Art: Ancient World: Roman Pre AD 1000: item #591837

This exceptionally fine spoon is of a type used by both ancient doctors and laypeople. Milne’s “Surgical Instruments in Greek & Roman Times” describes this type as a spoon for measuring, preparing, and pouring medicines or cosmetics. Interestingly, the bowls of these spoons are frequently thinned at the bottom to facilitate heating or melting the contents over a flame before application. This piece is finer than most and is likely to have been a cosmetic spoon. It features nice decorative ribbin... Click for details

Egyptian Amarna Period Amulet of Tawaret -- White!

Archives: Regional Art: Ancient World: Egyptian Pre AD 1000: item #590687

Taweret (aka Tuaret or Tawaret) was the goddess responsible for the protection of children and pregnant mothers. She is represented here in her common form of a female, pregnant human body with the head of a hippopotamus. Additionally, she was oftentimes represented as a composite animal that drew on characteristics of hippos, crocodiles, and lion. This odd combination was chosen to draw on elements of the most feared animals in the Egyptian's world in the hopes that they would keep harm away fr... Click for details

Choice Ancient Egyptian Ushabti

Archives: Regional Art: Ancient World: Egyptian Pre AD 1000: item #589994

Beginning in the Middle Kingdom, the ancient Egyptians were buried with small human statues called shabtis. These figures were to serve as servants in the afterlife, performing any work necessary so that the deceased could enjoy eternity in peace. This was accomplished by inscribing Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead on the shabti, which reads: "O shabti, if the deceased is called upon to do any of the work required there in the necropolis at any time...you shall say, 'Here I am, I will do it.'" ... Click for details

Roman Glass Cosmetic or Medicine Jar

Archives: Regional Art: Ancient World: Roman Pre AD 1000: item #588852

The earliest man-made glass predated the Roman empire by 2000 years, but the Romans used a greater quantity and variety of glass than any other civilization before the Renaissance. The discovery of glassblowing in the first century B.C. transformed glass from a luxury item into the medium for making objects for everyday use. Glass had a long history of production in the eastern Mediterranean, and the majority of common glass objects were produced in Syria and Israel during the later centuries of... Click for details

Roman Glass Cosmetic Jar

Archives: Regional Art: Ancient World: Roman Pre AD 1000: item #588848

The earliest man-made glass predated the Roman empire by 2000 years, but the Romans used a greater quantity and variety of glass than any other civilization before the Renaissance. The discovery of glassblowing in the first century B.C. transformed glass from a luxury item into the medium for making objects for everyday use. Glass had a long history of production in the eastern Mediterranean, and the majority of common glass objects were produced in Syria and Israel during the later centuries of... Click for details

Large, Signed Roman Oil Lamp with Sea Urchin Decoration

Archives: Regional Art: Ancient World: Roman Pre AD 1000: item #584628

This lovely oil lamp features upper and lower shoulders molded in the shape of a sea urchin's exoskeleton (i.e., the urchin's body after the spines have been removed -- see the last enlargement for an example). Seafood formed the bulk of the Roman diet, and urchins were among the items particularly considered to be delicacies. The base of the lamp features an indistinct signature from its maker. The letters "i" and "o" are legible, although much of the rest is lost to wear. ... Click for details