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Carved sealstones were popular ornaments among Bronze Age Minoans and Mycenaeans and served as insignia of rank and social status. They were influenced by the elaborate traditions of stamp and cylinder seals developed in the Near East and Egypt. Bulls were represented using a variety of materials in the Minoan world, from gold jewelry to terracotta figurines and, most famously, in the relief frescoes of the palace at Knossos that depict bull-leaping.
Minoan
H: 1/2 x W: 1 1/16 x D: 7/16 in. (1.3 x 2.8 x 1.1 cm)
medium: hematite
culture: Minoan
Walters Art Museum, 1941, by purchase.
Long, rectangular tables were often placed against a wall to hold candlestands, flower vases, or incense burners. It was customary to hang ancestor portraits, images of religious figures, or seasonal paintings above the table that would convey auspicious wishes and blessings to the family. <br><br>The high legs show stylized cloud-shaped spandrels. At each end of the table, between the recessed legs, are carved openwork panels with a lively dragon motif.
China, Ming dynasty (1368-1644) or Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Rosewood (huanghuali)
Overall: 86.4 x 199.4 x 41.9 cm (34 x 78 1/2 x 16 1/2 in.)
Did you know...
The table top is made of a single plank of wood.
Severance and Greta Millikin Collection
The silk thread in this chasuble, a liturgical vestment worn over an alb, is exceptionally lustrous. The lavish allover floral and foliate decoration in pastel shades on golden stems and the ivory ground were embroidered with shiny floss silk—soft silk filaments that form loosely twisted instead of tightly twisted thread. The floss silk is crossed with parallel lines of thread in matching colors that are secured by a third thread from underneath, called laid and couched-work embroidery. The dazzling effect illustrates skilled workmanship.
Italy, 18th century
embroidery, silk
Overall: 114 x 69.7 cm (44 7/8 x 27 7/16 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade
This rare, dramatic object served as the back support of a litter carried by human porters, a mode of transport reserved for honored members of many societies without draft animals or wheeled vehicles. The simple, bold figures—perhaps a Chimú lord and four officials—all wear wide collars, tunics, and crescent headdresses that are either brightly painted or covered with golden but now-corroded sheet metal. The holes at the bottom probably served as lashing points for a beam that supported the litter's seat.
Central Andes, North Coast, Chimú people, late Intermediate period
mixed media: wood, gold alloy, pigment, shell inlay
Overall: 60.4 x 95 cm (23 3/4 x 37 3/8 in.)
Did you know...
Cinnabar, a toxic mercuric sulfide, was used to color the red background and faces of the figures.
John L. Severance Fund
Turkey, Bursa or Istanbul, 16th century (?)
senna knot: wool and silk
Average: 28.6 x 30.5 cm (11 1/4 x 12 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
MATH HOFFA/ CORTEZ VS AYE VERB/ YUNG ILL SMACK/ URL battledomination.com/math-hoffa-cortez-vs-aye-verb-yung-i...
The Chinese immortal Chinnan (Ch. Chennan [Ch'en Nan]) is known for summoning a dragon from dry mud to bring rain in a drought stricken area. Here, he is shown with a stick in his hand that he thrust into the dirt to rouse the dragon. The dragon is in the mud at the bottom. The artist signed the kozuka on the reverse.
Japanese
L: 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm)
medium: shibuichi and gold
culture: Japanese
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Italy, 18th century
black chalk with white heightening
Sheet: 32 x 23 cm (12 5/8 x 9 1/16 in.)
John L. Severance Fund