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Seated statue of Gudea, 2150–2100 B.C.
Neo-Sumerian period
Southern Mesopotamia
Diorite
The Akkadian empire collapsed after two centuries of rule, and during the succeeding fifty years, local kings ruled independent city-states in southern Mesopotamia. The city-state of Lagash produced a remarkable number of statues of its kings as well as Sumerian literary hymns and prayers under the rule of Gudea (ca. 2150–2125 B.C.) and his son Ur-Ningirsu (ca. 2125–2100 B.C.). Unlike the art of the Akkadian period, which was characterized by dynamic naturalism, the works produced by this Neo-Sumerian culture are pervaded by a sense of pious reserve and serenity.
This sculpture belongs to a series of diorite statues commissioned by Gudea, who devoted his energies to rebuilding the great temples of Lagash and installing statues of himself in them. Many inscribed with his name and divine dedications survive. Here, Gudea is depicted in the seated pose of a ruler before his subjects, his hands folded in a traditional gesture of greeting and prayer. The Sumerian inscription on his robe lists the various temples that he built or renovated in Lagash and names the statue itself, "Gudea, the man who built the temple; may his life be long."
"11. Sarcophagus with Nereids.
A group of Nereids are shown riding dolphins. One of the Nereids was Thetis, mother of Achilles, and the figures are shown bearing the weapons which would make him the most fearsome warrior below the walls of Troy. Dated to 140-159 A.D."
Taken in the Vatican Museum in Vatican City, Italy.
230 AD, Frankfurt.
In h(onorem) d(omus) d(ivinae) // Genium plateae Novi vi/ci cum (a)edicula et ara / T(itus) Fl(avius) Sanctinus mil(es) leg(ionis) XXII / P(rimigeniae) [[Alexan(drianae)]] p(iae) f(idelis) imm(unis) co(n)s(ularis) et Per/petuus et Felix fratres c(ives) / R(omani) et Taunenses ex origi/ne patris T(iti) Fl(avi) Materni ve/terani coh(ortis) III praet(oriae) piae vindicis et Aurelia Am/mias mater eorum c(ivis) R(omana) d(onum) d(ederunt) / Agricola et Clementino co(n)s(ulibus)
LVR RomerMuseum.
Superb example of meticulous Quimbaya workmanship in red ware pottery. Deep cut away in champlevé (chip-carving) technique on outer surface. Ample mineral deposit throughout. No repairs. Choice condition. Cauca River region, Columbia. 300-600 AD. Measures 7cm tall by 14cm in length.
Extremely rare highly polished serpentine stone. Valdivia 8 (Piquigua Phase). This single sided stone plaque in bas-relief with deeply excised carving and are said by many to stylized zoomorphic features and resemble an owl. We disagree, as they appear to be humanoid showing either appendages or articles of clothing. Choice. Measures just under 8" in hight.
This is an exceptional and choice stone sculpture of the Transition Style. Beautiful spiral perforation on the tail. Marbled Serpentine in multi-toned coloring with ample mineral deposits throughout. Valdivia region, Ecuador. 2000BC/300BC Measuring 5" long by 2 3/4" tall.
Artistically crouched Sukia (medicine man) with pronounced jawline. Sculpted from volcanic basalt stone. Central Highlands / Atlantic Watershed, Costa Rica, c.1000-1500. In Fine condition. Measures 13 1/2" in hight.
Ardhanarisvara
Tiruvenkadu, Thanjavur District. Height 101 cm. About 11th Century AD.
As the name indicates, Siva is represented here as half-male and half-female, typifying the male and female energies. The right half represents Siva and the left Parvati. Siva has a jatamakuta with a crescent moon. He has three arms of which the lower arm rests on the back of the bull, his vehicle., and the upper right has an axe. The whole of the right side is adorned with ornaments peculiar to Siva. The right leg is bent and rests on the pedestal. The drapery is shown upto the knee. On the left side the image has a karandamakuta. The drapery is upto the anklets and her leg is slightly bent, resting on the pedestal. This image is referred to in an inscription in the temple at Tiruvenkadu.
Bronze cross-shaped reliquary with Christ on the cross in the front. A hinge on the top. Incised circular patterns on the surface. 600-900 AD (4 ¾" x 2 ¾")
Handsome Jamacoaque individual sits on his buttocks, knees bent in front. He holds a round lime pot in one hand and a spatula in the other. He wears a cloak over his chest and a long headdress on his head, both covered with horns carved in relief. He also wears earrings, nose ring and chin piece. Remnants of pale green pigment are still present on surface. Please note that the stick has been re-attached and restored. There is also restoration to some of the horns on the headdress. Nice deposits throughout. Manabi region, Ecuador. 500BC/500AD. Measures 8 1/2" high.
Statues depict women grinding wheat to prepare flour.
NMEC National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Cairo
Oxford. Ashmolean Museum. Panchica (déu indi de la riquesa) i la seva esposa Hariti amb cornucòpia. Gandhara (Afganistan) 100-300 dC.
Villa Boscoreale is an ancient Roman villa located in the town of Boscoreale, about one and a half kilometers north of Pompeii, southeast of Vesuvius, in Campania, southern Italy
Valley of Fire State Park: This one is dubbed 'newspaper rock' cuz it has so many illustrations on it. Kinda hard to photograph due to angle, but I have another version of this rock from 2009 over here -
www.flickr.com/photos/danamite/4154106775/in/set-72157622...
Polished serpentine stone mortar in form of a parrot. Excellent craftsmanship of the Valdivia Culture 3800B.C/1600B.C. Measures 9" in Length.
A beautiful and naturalistic head from the Classic period of La Tolita Monte Alto Culture. Masterfully done using iconic ash enrich pottery to produce their wonderful pieces. Ear plugs and parted hair are shown. Very fine condition. Northern Esmeraldas region, Ecuador. 200BC/90AD. Measures over 4 1/2" in height. Similar example are seen in "Tumaco 1000 ans D'art Precolombien" Pg. 63.
Scylla Group detail. Original Marble. One of the sailor is killed by the wolf head. National Archaeology Museum of Sperlonga. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. By www.ontravelwriting.com
Joven romano togado con una capsa a sus pies y un volumen en una de sus manos. Patio octogonal. Museo Pío-Clementino. Museos Vaticanos.
I recently had the privilege of going on a day tour to Newgrange in the Boyne Valley of Ireland. It was constructed over 5,000 years ago (about 3,200 B.C.), making it older than Stonehenge in England and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Newgrange was built during the Neolithic or New Stone Age by a farming community that prospered on the rich lands of the Boyne Valley. Knowth and Dowth are similar mounds that together with Newgrange have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Archaeologists classified Newgrange as a passage tomb, however it is now recognised to be much more than that; Ancient Temple is a more fitting classification, a place of astrological, spiritual, religious and ceremonial importance, much as present day cathedrals are places of prestige and worship where dignitaries may be laid to rest. It was a very amazing place to see and photograph.
This is a hand stitched vertorama made at the entry way to a small temple on the Newgrange sight. Three landscape style shots were taken and then stitched together vertically to create the wide (vertically) view seen here.
A pair of twin-tailed tritonesses from the National Museum in Athens.
From a group of statues in the Temple of Desponia at Lykosoura. Marble, 180-190 B.C.
Terracotta miniature pitcher with a single handle. Brown and orange background with an image of a male powering from a large amphora. 400 BC (3 ¼" x 2")
1-50 AD. Athena/Minerva in the pose of Palladion with raised spear and shield, wearing a helmet, aegis and Gorgoneion. A "Campana plate": colourfully painted ceramic reliefs depicting scenes from mythology and daily life which decorated the interior and exterior walls of sacred, public and private buildings from around 1 AD -200 AD. Altes Museum, Berlin.
An adorable Nariño poporo (lime vessel) from the Capuli cultural complex of the highland region of southern Colombia. Fine Condition. 500–1000 AD. Rare example. Measures over 3" in height.
A museum takes to the street, promoting ancient art classics as street art in Chiado, Bairro Alto and Principe Real in Lisbon.
What would the artists of these classic works of art say if they saw their work exhibited in the streets? Would they ever have imagined this?
The National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon has decided to bring the museum onto the streets with very high quality reproductions of 31 classical masterpieces from its collection, in an initiative similar to “The Grand Tour” promoted by The National Gallery in London in Convent Garden, Soho and Chinatown.
It is definitely worth checking out Chiado, Bairro Alto and Principe Real to feel the atmosphere of a Street Museum! After that, why not reward the National Museum of Ancient Art with a visit?
Photography by © George Lyra
Valdivia 8 (Piquigua Phase) from the Atahualpa Site (N3A1-001) Ecuador. Ultra Rare stone. Monolith stone block in bas-relief embellished with deep excised carvings on all six sides. Typically said by many to stylized zoomorphic features and resemble an owl. We disagree, as they appear to be humanoid showing either appendages or articles of clothing. Measures 10" in hight.