Ancient art refers to art produced by advanced cultures of ancient societies with some form of writing, such as China, India, the Mediterranean, the Levant, Egypt, Greece, the Roman Empire, Roman North Africa, and Mesoamerican cultures before the arrival of Europeans. Ancient is defined in the VA Collection as items made before1200 CE and includes Chinese Han (206 BCE-220 CE) ceramics and metalwork; Mediterranean terracotta from the Holy Land Biblical Period (934-586 BCE), Magna Graecia (8-5th Century BCE) pottery, Roman Empire North Africa (27 BCE-476 CE) pottery, and a Texas Clovis Culture Paleolithic Spear (15,000-10,000 BCE.).
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This small wine jug was created in a Roman North Africa production center for domestic use and exported elsewhere in the empire. As the poor could only afford practical objects, potters made many functional objects using inexpensive long-lasting materials.
This rare Han dynasty green glazed winged cup is a mingqi burial object placed in a tomb to comfort and satisfy the deceased. Winged cups were popular during the Han Dynasty when they were made from molded earthenware covered with a thick green leaded glaze which sometimes , as here, caused a chemical reaction between the lead and the tomb’s humidity resulting in an iridescent silver-green color. It is in very good condition considering its age and use with considerable silver-green glazed luminous iridescence remaining.
This glazed pig mingqi was one of many items made for a tomb to placate the spirit of the deceased and assure the soul’s access to the things enjoyed when alive. This animal mingqi confirms the importance of pigs as a food source and of raising livestock in Han China. An alert animal whose stocky body is typical, it’s dark lead green glaze and damp tomb created a chemical reaction over centuries making it a lustrous, iridescent green impossible to copy that is highly valued in China and by collectors. In very good condition, it has expected glaze losses, minor abrasions and cracks due to its age and long tomb burial.
This figure is Harpocrates the Greek god of silence, confidentiality and secrets holding a jar and was made using a bivalve-mould. The iconography hints at a royal and temple cult, as he wears a double crown symbolizing both Upper and Lower Egypt. A royal emblem showing an association with the contemporary king, in Egypt royals with crowns were a manifestation of the Egyptian god Horus. Small white specks are all that remains of the slip and colorful paints covering it. Missing part of his right side when excavated, there are no repairs and it is mounted on a stand. Given its age, the image is in good condition with normal scrapes and cracks found in pieces of this age.
This strong, thick, substantial yet relatively light T-shaped Inca copper alloy bronze ax has considerable wear on one side. Scholars describe these pieces as a classic weapon of the Inca Empire centered in Cuzco, Peru. Bronze ax heads were a very valuable and versatile tool. Their wide T-like top made them tight and durable when secured to a thick wooden handle and their strength and thickness also made them a very useful chopping and digging tool. This one has a fine patina and is very worn on one side attesting to its age and use. It has no restorations or repairs.
This diminutive but very elegant piece is a lekanis, a lid-covered dish originating in Greece embraced by artisans from Apulia in Magna Graecia in Southern Italy who adapted this form in their Xenon wares in the 6th century BCE. This terracotta lidded bowl is covered with pale matte salmon decorations over a black glazed body, a bowl highlighted with decorative meandering bands. Fathers in ancient times filled these bowls with small items of adornment and gave them to their daughters as a wedding gift, which would be a delightful tradition to uphold today.
This Roman Egyptian figurine from Alexandria of a woman holding a young child is a Kourotrophos, a class of god and goddess figures holding infants or children. Referred to as child nurturers, these were revered deities, cult figures and mortals who were also fertility symbols and protectors of the young. Mother and child figures like this are universal and appear known in disparate cultures throughout the world.
An ancient military weapon, bronze dagger-axes like this were used for millennia. It consists of a pointed blade, rear and low protrusions with openings for attaching to a shaft to allow it to be used as a thrusting and swinging-motion weapon. It was mounted and secured to a pole or shaft through the openings on its two perpendicular sections. This ge is a fascinating piece of military history and is in very good condition with minor losses and some verdigris expected in an ancient and roughly used bronze pieces.
This triangular spearpoint blade, worked on both sides, was found in Texas, along with with others and are revising theories about ancient American history. They are the oldest weapons found in North America and may date from 15,000-10,000 BCE. Most stone projectiles measure 3-4 inches, but this one is much larger at 7.5″, has impressive stone chip patterns and is likely a hunting tool for mammoths and other large game.
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