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The Gilbert Collection a lifetime of learning Dr. Walter (Wally) Gilbert has been celebrated throughout his life as a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, exhibiting artist, and one of the foremost collectors of antiquities of his generation. In each of his diverse scholarly pursuits, his approach has consistently remained one of academic integrity, with an emphasis on both the materials of the artworks and the stories that inspired them. Together with his wife and life-long partner, Celia, Wally Gilbert has acquired a vast collection of objects from the ancient world, assembled in a representation of a life well-lived. Spanning from the birth of Western art around the cultures of the Mediterranean Basin to Asia and Mesoamerica, the focus of the collection is the art of Greece, Rome and Etruria, along with the cultures that flourished in Egypt and Mesopotamia. They collected many miniature works of art, including seals, vessels, and figures which make up over 100 objects under 7 cm tall in the collection. Some of which are the finest in the world and absolute masterworks, such as a Greek Gold Head of a Griffin that is only 4 centimeters high with astonishing detail. Some of the Greek vases in the collection are also at the top of their class including the Attic Red Figure Stamnos attributed to the Eucharides Painter. A delicately painted representation of an archery contest, about to take place, between Herakles and the sons of King Eurytus. Set in Oechalia, they will battle over Iole, the King’s daughter, whom Herakles has already shot with a “love arrow”.
Curious Children Wally, now 87, was born in Boston in 1932 to child psychologist Emma Cohen and then-Harvard economist Richard V. Gilbert. Emma and Richard met in their early teens and married on the way to Emma’s first year at Radcliffe College. Thus, the highly intellectual environment where Wally came to thrive was fostered long before he was born. Emma had been raised in an anarchist colony called Stelton, New Jersey, marked not just by a desire to be free of government, but by an emphasis on unique pathways to education independent of mainstream teachings. Before she had her two children, she had pursued a PhD in child psychology, so she took continuing advantage of the opportunity to watch their cognitive abilities develop. Wally’s mother tested their IQ annually, fascinated by watching how rapidly they advanced. Emma initially homeschooled Wally and his sister, teaching them to read voraciously. This profoundly influenced Wally’s interest and ability to learn new material. It wasn’t long before the children revealed a boundless desire to learn. When the Gilbert family relocated to Washington, D.C. in 1939 for Richard’s position in the Roosevelt Administration, the precocious seven-year-old Wally was dismayed to learn that the Washington library refused to let him into the adult section. He felt “helpless and constrained.”
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By the age of eight, Wally had met his future wife, Celia Stone. Her father, I. F. Stone, was a celebrated, left-wing intellectual and newspaperman. When the leftist newspapers began to flounder after the war, Celia’s father created “I.F. Stone’s Weekly” which flourished during the Vietnam War. At the height of McCarthyism, the FBI was apparently rifling through the Stone family’s garbage cans, hoping to find something incriminating. But Celia’s father was more than a clear radical force during politically uncertain times. He was also a parent, who encouraged Celia’s love of poetry and fairytales. Decades later, this foundation allowed her to appreciate the objects her husband collected. Her favorite storybook was Bullfinch’s Mythology: The Age of the Fable. “Bullfinch’s mythology was a Victorian compendium of myths,” she explained, “So it was more written for a grown-up than for a child. But my father didn’t recognize such things. If there was something well-known and well-regarded, he would bring it home and we would use that.” When they first met, Celia was struck by Wally’s attention to detail, particularly when it came to his mineral collection. She saw the way he presented his findings and realized he was very unusual—not at all like the other boys.
“ Wally always was a collector,” she later remembered, “ He had everything laid out in little boxes. The mineral specimens rested on top of cotton, and they all had labels. Not in the box, but right adjacent to it.” Celia was also impressed by the subject matter. While the other children collected marbles, the choice of minerals had deep roots in the earth and its origins. It was a way to find a piece of science and history. “I think there is a basic urge in some people to collect,” Celia said, “And Wally’s always had that. It was a direction in which he always was moving. Because if it was minerals, you could switch onto antiquities.” Once Wally began to acquire objects, Celia recalled her time reading mythology. “I could connect with the embodiments of these tales,” she said, “Because it seemed familiar.”
In Our DNA Building on childhood pursuits as a reader and mineral collector, Wally Gilbert was encouraged to pursue his interest in science. He moved seamlessly into astronomy, then inorganic chemistry. By 1949, his senior year of high school, Wally skipped classes to teach himself nuclear physics by reading at the Library to Congress. Shortly thereafter, at Harvard for his undergraduate degree, Wally studied both chemistry and theoretical physics. At the University of Cambridge, he took a doctorate in 1957 in the theory of elementary particles and quantum field theory. His ability to cross-pollinate ideas led to some of the world’s most celebrated discoveries. During the summer of 1956 Wally befriended biologist Jim Watson, newly appointed as an assistant professor at Harvard. Over dinner, Jim often complained of boredom, until finally in 1960, he told the Gilberts, “Something very exciting is happening in the laboratory.” Wally was a physicist and an assistant professor at Harvard at the time, but he was immediately on board with Watson’s genetic project---which was the search for messenger RNA, an unstable RNA molecule that carries the information from DNA to the factories in cells (the ribosomes) that make proteins. The existence and behavior of such intermediate was not known at that time. So, he read six papers (the only background on the subject then) and joined the team. Wally explained, “The nice thing about fields at their inception is that you don’t have to read very much. Today, if you want to start off in biology, you probably have a shelf of books to read.” Wally went on to do experiments in molecular biology, although his appointment as a professor at Harvard was in theoretical physics: lecturing and training graduate students. Luckily, he was promoted to tenure in biophysics. His next major work was identifying how a protein, made by a ‘control’ gene, turned off and on a target gene, by isolating that extremely rare protein and showing that it bound to DNA and blocked to target gene. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1980 for his later research discovering a rapid way of how to read the order of the chemical groups along the DNA molecule (the ‘bases’- A, T, C, and G). That invention changed the problem from one of great difficulty, working out one group a month in the early 1970s, to one of great ease, working out hundreds, then thousands, of bases in an afternoon. He shared the Nobel award with Fred Sanger, who worked out a similar method simultaneously. DNA sequencing, with many further developments, has gone on to dominate all of modern biology and medicine. Wally was one of the founders of Biogen, in 1978---a new company dedicated to making medically useful human proteins in bacteria. He left Harvard in 1981 to run that company as CEO. He later returned to Harvard in 1985, where he taught until his retirement in 2000. That someone at the forefront of cutting-edge, radical advancement in technology would collect objects from the ancient world is fascinating. Wally differentiated himself from other scientists with his discoveries, undoubtedly, but also in the methodology of how his curiosity led him to new findings.
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The Making of Collectors By the late 1980s, the Gilberts found that their scientific pursuits led to creative ones. Wally’s seasoned career in science was coupled with a love of photography, watercolor, and painting. Celia made breakthroughs in her own artistic practice, working with monotypes, while Wally grew increasingly passionate about archaeology as well: From 1985 to 1995, he read all the Greco-Roman classics in translation, including Homer, Caesar, and Herodotus’s Histories. He greatly enjoyed the high drama of the Sumerian legends, and even learned the first 50 lines of The Iliad in the original Greek. The deeper he went into his scholastic odyssey, the art objects of the periods he was discovering soon found their way to him as well.
Wally’s entrepreneurial and probing drive opened up the world of antiquities dealers to him. He soon immersed himself in that bustle of a thriving antiquities market, using a shrewd eye to collect top-quality works with energy and discrimination.
Celia’s father had also encouraged a strong foundation in poetry, and memorized English, Latin and Greek verse. He often told her, “To be a poet is the greatest thing in the world,” and she took the phrase to heart, publishing a number of books of poetry and one of short stories.
“When you handle the objects, your relationship becomes different,” he said. “The museum-goer sees objects as frozen in a case, but the collector actually feels the object as a truly human product.”
“My interest in mythology has certainly been nourished by the things Wally bought,” she reflected. “I don’t think I’d appreciate it as much if I hadn’t grown up with it.” Her most recent book, Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down (2016), opens with a semi-autobiographical story about a woman whose husband began buying ancient art pieces.
“Wally always had an eye for what was first-class,” Celia explained, “For what was…you could say, what was worthy. What was exciting about a piece. It could have been a collection it came from, or the age, or the beauty of the work, but he has a connoisseur’s eye for what is beautiful.”
He knew the material composition, the artistic technique, and the legends that inspired the hundreds of works he amassed and kept at his home in Cambridge. He felt a sense of tactility, and deep affinity, by living among the objects. But around 2004, Wally began to switch his focus to creating his own art.
“ My husband and I collect antiquities…” she wrote. “ They entered our lives, refugees from the midden heap of history, to be sheltered and cherished and when we die to be handed on to others.” The collecting of antiquities began through a suggestion from a business partner, “why don’t we go to New York with our wives for a week of theater and visit the antiquities auction?” The fascination was instantaneous. Wally explained: “The new and the old are very different impulses. The new involves the creative impulse and the search for novelty. But the old involves knowledge and feeling about history. Most scientists live entirely in the current moment, as opposed to having an interest in how the fields emerged. But I find old chemistry has that same historical feeling.”
“ Someone valued these objects in the ancient world. They were made with an aesthetic impulse to create beauty in their daily lives.”
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Art of the Future “One of the great dangers in life is thinking we must do what we’ve been trained to do,” Wally said. His flexibility as a seeker of knowledge has rendered him entirely adaptable. He transitioned from a scientific field from research to business and then moved through classical literature to go on to create one of the great American collections of ancient Mediterranean art. In his seventies, Wally was reborn yet again, this time as a seeker of beauty through his own hands. His senses of tactility and discovery were amplified in the creative process of an artist. “I find that there’s an overlap between art-making and creating new knowledge,” he clarified. “Making your own art is about the impulse to create, which also drives us in science.” With this in mind, Wally followed his wife into artmaking. He started as a photographer, zeroing in on the minutia of the mechanics that defined his word. A golden doorknob, a nick on a sidewalk—nothing was too small to catch his attention. Then he began working more geometrically, with pieces such as the “Squares and Triangles” digitally inspired in patterns and scintillations. The vivid palette was reflective of a lifetime of exposure to scientific advancement, rather than the golden and subdued hues of the more lifelike and zoomorphic antiquities he had amassed. The optical delight, however, and the determination to find a rhythm in the color and pattern, came from the sample passion as his collecting. Over the last 15 years, Wally’s artwork has been exhibited internationally, with numerous solo shows and installations from New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, and California to the United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, and South Korea. His boundless passion for newfound knowledge is matched only by a reverence for the ancient world. As a scientist, an artist, and a collector, the bridge between all categories is a desire to cultivate and expound on the beautiful unknown. Ancient or contemporary, his single-minded genius in delighting and decoding has revealed many secrets of the universe. This collection serves to do the same.
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European
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2 — Axe
European, Neolithic, ca. 2800 – 1700 B.C. Flint H: 35.2 cm (13.8 in) see p. 202
3 — Torque
European,15th – 14th century B.C. Gold D: 14.3 cm (5.6 in) see p. 202
1 — Spiral Fibula
European, 2nd – 1st millennium B.C. Bronze L: 7 cm (2.8 in) see p. 202
4 — Female statuette
European, Vinča, 5th millennium B.C. Terracotta H: 9.3 cm (3.6 in) see p. 203 14
European
European
P. 14
P. 15
15
5 — Abstract plaque Idol
6 — Eye goddess
Iberian, 4th – 2nd millennium B.C. Slate H: 19.7 cm (7.8 in) see p. 203
16
Iberian, 3rd – early 2nd millennium B.C. Marble H: 13.2 cm (5.2 in) see p. 203
European
European
P. 16
P. 17
17
8 — Axe
European, 4th millennium B.C. Green schist H: 34.5 cm (13.5 in) see p. 204
9 — Bat head knuckle
Northern European, Celtic, 3rd century B.C. – 2nd century A.D. Bronze L: 7.7 cm (3.0 in) see p. 204
7 — Ring Idol pendant
Balkan, 5th millennium B.C. Gold H: 9.1 cm (3.6 in) see p. 203
10 — Axe
Central European, Chalcolithic, ca. 4000 – 3500 B.C. Copper L: 29.2 cm (11.4 in) see p. 204
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European
European
P. 18
P. 19
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Egyptian
11 — Fibula
14 — Head
12 — Pair of earrings
15 — Fish fibula
13 — Horse fibula
16 — Impasto mug
L: 18.3 cm (7.2 in) see p. 204
L: 5.6 cm (2.2 in) see p. 205
L: 2.8 cm (1.1 in) see p. 205
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H: 2 cm (0.79 in) see p. 205
L: 3.4 cm (1.34 in) see p. 205
H: 13.9 cm (5.4 in) see p. 205
European
European
P. 20
P. 21
21
17 — Semi-spherical bowl
Egyptian, Early Dynastic- Old Kingdom, ca. 3100 – 2575 B.C. Green Schist D: 12.7 cm (5 in) see p. 206
20 — Relief with the figure of a servant
Egyptian, Amarna Period, Dynasty 18, ca. 1353 – 1336 B.C. Limestone H: 22.2 cm (8.7 in) – L: 16.5 cm (6.4 in) see p. 206
19 — Scarab ring
Egyptian, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 B.C. – 1070 B.C. Red jasper D: 2.9 cm (1.14 in) see p. 206
18 — Finger amulet
21 — Ushabti of Tay-Sen
Egyptian, Late Period, ca. 713 – 332 B.C. Obsidian L: 9.8 cm (3.8 in) see p. 206 22
Egyptian, New Kingdom, Dynasty 19, ca. 1295 – 1186 B.C. Painted wood H: 15.2 cm (6 in) see p. 207
Egyptian
Egyptian
P. 22
P. 23
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23 — Statuette of a woman
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Stone H: 24.1 cm (9.5 in) - W: 5.3 cm (2.1 in) see p. 207
22 — Black-top jar in the shape of a fish
Egyptian, Predynastic, Naqada I, ca. 3900 – 3450 B.C. Terracotta H: 19.5 cm (7.7 in) see p. 207 24
Egyptian
Egyptian
P. 24
P. 25
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24 — Vase
Egyptian, Old Kingdom- Dynasty 6, ca. 2323 – 2150 B.C. Alabaster H: 13.9 cm (5.5 in) see p. 207
26 — Ring with a seated cat
Egyptian, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 - 1070 B.C. Cornelian H: 4.4 cm (1.73 in) see p. 208
27 — Hippopotamus
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12, ca. 1981 – 1802 Faience H: 10.8 cm (4.2 in) see p. 208
29 — Cylinder Jar
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, ca. 2649 – 2150 B.C. Veined alabaster H: 9.5 cm (3.74 in) - D: 3.8 cm (1.5 in) see p. 209
28 — Necklace
Egyptian, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 – 1070 B.C. Cornelian, gold L: 41.1 cm (162 in) see p. 208
25 — Relief with the head of Horus
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Painted Limestone H: 9.5 cm (3.7 in) see p. 208 26
Egyptian
Egyptian
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P. 27
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30 — Block statue of an official
31 — Relief of Sepy, priestess of Hathor
Egyptian, Saite Period, Dynasty 26, ca. 688 – 252 B.C. Schist H: 25.4 cm (10 in) see p. 209 28
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Painted Limestone H: 34.6 cm (13.6 in) see p. 209
Egyptian
Egyptian
P. 28
P. 29
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33 — Head of a lion
Egyptian, Roman period, ca. 1st century B.C – 3rd century A.D. Basalt H: 16.5 cm (6.5 in) - W: 18.5 cm (7.3 in) see p. 210
34 — Relief representing a high statesman
32 — Thin walled Kerma ware vase
Egyptian, Late Period, ca. 713 – 332 B.C. Limestone H: 34.4 cm (13.5 in) see p. 210
Nubian, Kerma culture, ca. 1750 – 1550 B.C. Terracotta H: 11.18 cm (4.4 in) – D: 14.48 cm (5.7 in) see p. 209
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Egyptian
Egyptian
P. 30
P. 31
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35 — Sarcophagus panel
Egyptian, Late Period, ca. 713 – 332 B.C. Painted wood H: 34.5 cm (13.6 in) - W: 66.3 cm (26.1 in) see p. 210 32
Egyptian
Egyptian
P. 32
P. 33
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39 — Arm of a statuette
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, ca. 2649 – 2150 B.C. Wood H: 22.9 cm (9 in) see p. 211
36 — Early Dynastic vessel
38 — Early Dynastic Jar
Egyptian, Early Dynastic period, ca. 3rd millennium B.C. Breccia H: 5.6 cm (2.2 in) see p. 210
Egyptian, Early Dynastic period, ca. 3rd millennium B.C. Alabaster H: 8.6 cm (3.39 in) see p. 211
40 — Red vase with centipede marking
Egyptian, Predynastic period, ca. 4500 – 3100 B.C. Terracotta H: 28.45 cm (11.2 in) see p. 211
37 — Jar
Egyptian, Predynastic Period, Naqada II – III, ca. 3450 – 3100 B.C. Breccia H:10.2 cm (4 in) see p. 211
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Egyptian
Egyptian
P. 34
P. 35
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42 — Pointed spoon
Egyptian, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, ca. 1550 – 1295 B.C. Alabaster L: 14.6 cm (5.7 in) see p. 212
44 — Cosmetic palette in the form of a fish Egyptian, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 – 1070 B.C. Steatite H: 6.6 cm (2.6 in) - W: 6.6 cm (2.6 in) see p. 212
43 — Foot of a statuette
41 — Cylindrical jar
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, ca. 2649 – 2150 B.C. Wood L: 4.8 cm (1.9 in) see p. 212
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, ca. 2649 – 2150 B.C. Alabaster H: 33.2 cm (13 in) see p. 212 36
Egyptian
Egyptian
P. 36
P. 37
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45 — Ring with a gazelle in a papyrus thicket
49 — Horus
53 — Votive ear plugs
56 — Tauret
46 — Bastet
50 — Cosmetic container with lug handles
54 — Scarab
57 — Kohl jar
47 — Thoth
51 — Kohl jar
55 — Scarab
58 — Cosmetic container with lug handles
48 — Lion headed snake
52 — Four-headed ram
H: 1.9 cm (0.75 in) see p. 213
H: 6.7 cm (2.6 in) see p. 213
H: 5.6 cm (2.2 in) see p. 213
H: 2.5 cm (1 in) see p. 213
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H: 2.79 cm (1.1 in) see p. 214
H: 3.2 cm (1.26 in) - D: 4.9 cm (1.93 in) see p. 214
H: 2 cm (0.8 in) - D: 4 cm (1.6 in) see p. 214
H: 4.3 cm (1.7 in) see p. 214
H: 2.9 cm (1.14 in) - L: 2.2 cm (0.87 in) see p. 214
L: 2 cm (0.8 in) see p. 215
L: 1.78 cm (0.7 in) see p. 215
H: 3.05 cm (1.2 in) see p. 215
H: 4 cm (1.57 in) - D: 5.2 cm (2.05 in) see p. 215
H: 4.6 cm (1.81 in) - D: 4.1 cm (1.61 in) see p. 215
59 — Macehead D: 8.5 cm (3.35 in) see p. 215
Egyptian
Egyptian
P. 38
P. 39
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60 — Kohl Jar
65 — Tauret
70 — Predynastic jar
75 — Kohl Jar
61 — Kohl Jar
66 — Ptah
71 — Predynastic jar
76 — Black-top red ware bowl with tripod feet
62 — Rimless Cosmetic Container
67 — Inlay in the form of a "Ba" bird
72 — Predynastic Ovoid vessel
77 — Palette in the shape of a surgeon's knife
63 — Kohl Jar
68 — Head of a ram or bull
73 — Cosmetic vessel
78 — Early Dynastic amulet of a grasshopper
64 — Cosmetic Container
69 — Head of a Pharoah
74 — Thueris
H: 3.05 cm (1.2 in) see p. 216
H: 4.8 cm (1.89 in) - D: 4.8 cm (1.89 in) see p. 216
H: 4 cm (1.57 in) see p. 216
H: 3.2 cm (1.26 in) - D: 2.9 cm (1.14 in) see p. 216
H: 2.8 cm (1.1 in) - D: 4 cm (1.57 in) see p. 216
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H: 3.65 cm (1.44 in) see p. 216
H: 2.54 cm (1 in) see p. 217
H: 3.4 cm (1.34 in) see p. 217
H: 4.1 cm (1.61 in) see p. 217
H: 3.45 cm (1.36 in) see p. 217
H: 5.7 cm (2.24 in) see p. 217
D: 3.8 cm (1.5 in) see p. 217
H: 4.7 cm (1.85 in) see p. 218
L: 4.9 cm (1.93 in) - H: 3.5 cm (1.38 in) see p. 218
3.05 cm (1.2 in) see p. 218
D: 14.2 cm (5.5 in) see p. 218
L: 10.2 cm (4 in) see p. 219
L: 6.1 cm (2.4 in) see p. 219
H: 5.9 cm (2.3 in) see p. 218
Egyptian
Egyptian
P. 40
P. 41
41
Greek
79 — Funerary mask
84 — Kohl jar
80 — Kohl jar
85 — Cosmetic lidded vessel with handles
81 — Female figure amulet
86 — Kohl jar
82 — Male figure amulet
87 — Cosmetic container
H: 15.2 cm (6 in) see p. 219
2.29 cm (0.9 in) see p. 219
H: 6.7 cm (2.6 in) see p. 219
H: 6.7 cm (2.6 in) see p. 220
H: 4.1 cm (1.61 in) - D: 3.6 cm (1.42 in) see p. 220
L: 4.2 cm (1.65 in) - H: 2.2 cm (0.87 in) see p. 220
H: 5.1 cm (2.01 in) - D: 4.1 cm (1.61 in) see p. 220
H: 5.9 cm (2.32 in) - D: 4.2 cm (1.65 in) see p. 221
83 — Macehead L: 10.4 (4 in) see p. 220
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Egyptian
Egyptian
P. 42
P. 43
43
88 — Stemless red-figure kylix depicting an Amazonomachy Possibly by Aristophanes Greek, Attic, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 6.6 cm (2.6 in) - D: 17.5 cm (6.9 in) see p. 221 44
Greek
Greek
P. 44
P. 45
45
46
Greek
Greek
P. 46
P. 47
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89 — Siana cup
Attributed to the Taras Painter Greek, Attic, 560 B. C. Terracotta H: 13.6 cm (5.3 in) – D: 27.9 cm (10.9 in) see p. 221
90 — Red-figure squat lekythos with Artemis Attributed to the Painter Oxford 1920 Greek, Attic, ca. 450 B.C. Terracotta H: 15.8 cm (6.2 in), D: 10.1 cm (3.9 in) see p. 222
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91 — Black-figure neck amphora with Athena and chariot Attributed to the Dot-band Class, near to the Edinburgh Painter Greek, Attic, ca. 500 B.C. Terracotta H: 22.5 cm (8.8 in) see p. 222
Greek
Greek
P. 48
P. 49
49
92 — Black-figure oinochoe with a battle scene
93 — Kylix with komast
Greek, Corinthian, ca. 560 B.C. Terracotta H: 30.48 cm (12 in) see p. 222
Greek, Corinthian, 6th century B.C. Terracotta H: 13.7 cm (5.3 in), D: 17.9 cm (7.0 in) see p. 223
94 — Kylix with sphinxes
Attributed to the Painter of the Boston Polyphemos Greek, Attic, ca. 550 – 540 B.C. Terracotta H: 13.9 cm (5.5 in) see p. 223 50
Greek
Greek
P. 50
P. 51
51
98 — Pygmy
100 — Lekanis
Greek, Hellenistic, 3rd – 2nd century B.C. Bronze H: 6.7 cm (2.4 in) see p. 224
95 — Eye cup with Dionysos’ masks
Greek, Laconian, 6th century B.C. Terracotta H: 11.3 cm (4.4 in) see p. 225
Attributed to Near the Group of Walter’s 48.42 Greek, Attic, mid 6th century B.C. Terracotta H: 8.8 cm (3.4 in), D: 22.8 cm (8.9 in) see p. 223
96 — Medaillon with the head of a Maenad
97 — Black-figure kyathos with Dionysos and satyr
Greek, 350 B.C. Bronze with silver inlays L: 7.9 cm (2.8 in) see p. 224
52
Attributed to the Group of Vatican G.57 Greek, Attic, ca. 525-500 B.C. Terracotta H: 7.9 cm (3.1 in) see p. 224
99 — Red-figure kylix with a dancer Attributed to Skythes Greek, Attic, late 6th – early 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 13 cm (5.1 in) – D: 33 cm (12.9 in) see p. 225
Greek
Greek
P. 52
P. 53
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101 — Red-figure kylix fragments Attributed to Douris Greek, Attic, ca. 480 B.C. Terracotta L: 15.2 cm (6.0 in) see p. 225
103 — Cup with chariot race Greek, ca. 400- 350 B.C. Bronze H: 8.4 cm (3.3 in) see p. 226
104 — Mastoid
Attributed to the Haimon Group Greek, Attic, ca. 500 B.C. Terracotta H: 9.2 cm (3.6 in) see p. 226
102 — Cup
Minoan, Middle Minoan II, ca. 1800-1700 B.C. Terracotta H: 7.3 cm (2.8 in) see p. 225
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105 — Head of a koré
Greek, South Italian, 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 12.1 cm (4.7 in) see p. 226
Greek
Greek
P. 54
P. 55
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106 — Red-figure pyxis with erotic drinking scene Attributed to the Chaire Painter Greek, Attic, ca. 490 – 480 B.C. Terracotta H: 7.45 cm (2.9 in) see p. 227
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Greek
Greek
P. 56
P. 57
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107 — Red-figure pyxis with three labors of Heracles Greek, Attic, late 6th – early 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 4.3 cm (1.69 in) - D: 7.5 cm (2.95 in) see p. 227 58
Greek
Greek
P. 58
P. 59
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109 — Idol seated on a throne
108 — Red-figure fish plate
Mycenaean, Late Helladic IIIA – IIIB, 14th – 13th century B.C. Terracotta H: 10.2 cm (4 in) see p. 228
Attributed to the Bloomington painter Greek, South Italian, Apulian, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 8.8 cm (3.4 in), D: 21.5 cm (8.4 in) see p. 228
110 — Phi “IdolPhi”
Mycenaean, Late Helladic IIIA – IIIB, 14th – 13th century B.C. Terracotta H: 13.6 cm (5.4 in) see p. 228 60
Greek
Greek
P. 60
P. 61
61
111 — Enthroned Poseidon
Greek, South Italian, Tarentine, 4th century B.C Terracotta H: 10.2 cm (4 in) see p. 229
113 — Fighting Athena
Greek, South Italian, Tarentine, 4th century B.C. Terracotta L: 10.2 cm (4 in) see p. 229
114 — Lekanis with panthers, a sphinx, and harpies Greek, Corinthian, ca. 600 – 575 B.C. Terracotta H: 9 cm (3.5 in) see p. 230
112 — Maiden
Greek, South Italian, Tarentine, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 10.2 cm (4 in) see p. 229
62
Greek
Greek
P. 62
P. 63
63
115 — Red-figure calyx krater with Lycurgus Greek, Apulian, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 42.5 cm (16.7 in) see p. 230 64
Greek
Greek
P. 64
P. 65
65
117 — Red-figure askos with Dionysos and Ariadne Attributed to the Underworld Painter Greek, South Italian, Apulian, ca. 350 B.C. Terracotta H: 22.2 cm (8.7 in) see p. 231
116 — Six technique stamnos with two satyrs
118 — Red-figure mug
Greek, Attic, ca. 510 B.C. Terracotta H: 20.8 cm (8.1 in) see p. 230
66
Greek, Apulian, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 9.2 cm (3.6 in) see p. 231
Greek
Greek
P. 66
P. 67
67
121 — Aryballos
Greek, Corinthian, ca. 600 – 575 B.C. Terracotta H: 17.1 cm (6.7 in) see p. 232
119 — Squat lekythos
Greek, ca. 350 B.C. – 300 B.C. Bronze 10.2 cm (4 in) see p. 231
122 — Young girl dressed as a bear Greek, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 9.5 cm (3.7 in) see p. 232
120 — Strainer
Greek, 5th – 3rd Century B.C. Bronze H: 28 cm (11 in) see p. 232
68
Greek
Greek
P. 68
P. 69
69
124 — Odysseus
Greek, Hellenistic, 2nd – 1st century B.C. Bronze H: 8 cm (3.1 in) see p. 233
125 — Core-formed amphoriskos
123 — Red-figure kylix with a hetaira
Greek, Hellenistic, 1st century B.C. Glass H: 16.2 cm (6.3 in) see p. 233
Attributed to the Hermaios Painter Greek, Attic, ca. 510-500 B.C. Terracotta H: 7.6 cm (2.9 in), D: 19.2 cm (7.5 in) see p. 233
70
Greek
Greek
P. 70
P. 71
71
126 — Head of a woman
Greek, Magna Graecia, ca. late 4th century B.C. Marble H: 35 cm (13.8 in) see p. 234 72
Greek
Greek
P. 72
P. 73
73
127 — Black-glaze mug
130 — Plaque with a divine chariot
Greek, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 6.8 cm (2.7 in) see p. 234
Greek, ca. 560 B.C. Bronze H: 10.3 cm (4 in) see p. 235
128 — Horse
Greek, Hellenistic, 3rd – 2nd century B.C. Silver L: 5.1 cm (2 in) see p. 234
129 — Quatrefoil aryballos
Attributed to the Liebighaus Group Greek, Corinthian, ca. 600 - 575 B.C. Terracotta H: 7.6 cm (3 in) see p. 234
74
131 — Pair of bracelets with lion heads Greek, 4th century B.C. Silver L: 8.1 cm (3.1 in) see p. 235
Greek
Greek
P. 74
P. 75
75
132 — Amphoriskos
Greek, Hellenistic, ca. 3rd – 2nd century B.C. Rock crystal H: 6.3 cm (2.5 in) see p. 235
134 — Hound rhyton
Greek, South Italian, Tarentine, 4th century B.C. Terracotta L: 20.6 cm (8.1 in) see p. 236
133 — Squat lekythos with nude woman
135 — Ram rhyton
Greek, South Italian, Gnathian, ca. 350 B.C. Terracotta H: 20 cm (7.8 in) see p. 236
76
Greek, South Italian, Tarentine, ca. mid-4th century B.C. Terracotta L: 20.6 cm (8.1 in) see p. 236
Greek
Greek
P. 76
P. 77
77
136 — Stamnos with Heracles and Iole Attributed to the Eucharides Painter Greek, Attic, ca. 480 B.C. Terracotta H: 37.2 cm (14.6 in) see p. 236 78
Greek
Greek
P. 78
P. 79
79
80
Greek
Greek
P. 80
P. 81
81
140 — Necklace
Greek, Hellenistic, 2nd century B.C. Gold, cornelian, jet L: 33.5 cm (13.1 in) see p. 238
138 — Black-glaze askos Greek, ca. 350 B.C. Terracotta H: 8.1 cm (3.19 in) see p. 237
137 — Lidded askos Greek, 4th century B.C. Marble H: 14 cm (5.5 in) see p. 237
141 — Red-figure pyxis with animals and fantastic beasts Greek, Attic, ca. 375-350 B.C. Terracotta H: 10.9 cm (4.3 in) - D: 18.5 cm (7.3 in) see p. 238
139 — Lidded Jar
Greek, 3rd - 2nd century B.C. Rock crystal H: 4.32 cm (1.7 in) - D: 4.57 cm (1.8 in) see p. 237 82
Greek
Greek
P. 82
P. 83
83
144 — Oinochoe
Greek, Proto-Corinthian, ca. 710-700 B.C. Terracotta H: 22.3 cm (8.7 in) see p. 239
142 — Votive relief dedicated to Persephone Greek, South Italian, Locrian, ca. 470-440 B.C. Terracotta, blue and red pigments H: 25.4 cm (10 in) see p. 238
143 — Magenta ware flask of an actor
145 — Black- figure olpe with animal frieze
Greek, Hellenistic, 2nd – 1st century B.C. Terracotta, purplish-pink pigment H: 11.5 cm (4.5 in) see p. 239
84
Attributed to the Painter of Vatican 73 Greek, Corinthian, 640 – 625 B.C. Terracotta H: 33 cm (13 in) see p. 239
Greek
Greek
P. 84
P. 85
85
146 — Skyphos with frieze of animals Greek, Proto-Corinthian, ca. 670-650 B.C. Terracotta H: 10.7 cm (4.2 in) see p. 240
147 — Almond-shaped amphoriskos Greek, ca. 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 6 cm (2.4 in) - W: 2.8 cm (1.1 in) see p. 240
148 — Lydion
East Greek, first half of the 6th century B.C. Terracotta H: 12.3 cm (4.8 in) see p. 240
86
149 — Mother goddess
Aegean, 5th – 4th millennium B.C. Marble H: 6.7 cm (2.6 in) see p. 240
Greek
Greek
P. 86
P. 87
87
150 — Mirror cover with Herakles and Princess Auge
151 — Bell-krater
Greek, late 4th century B.C. Bronze D: 15.4 cm (6 in) see p. 241 88
Greek, South Italian, Gnathian, ca. 330 B.C. Terracotta H: 33 cm (12.9 in) see p. 241
Greek
Greek
P. 88
P. 89
89
152 — Aphrodite hairpin
Greek, Hellenistic, 1st century B.C. Gold H: 14.6 cm (5.7 in) see p. 242 90
Greek
Greek
P. 90
P. 91
91
153 — Head of a griffin Greek, ca. 7th century B.C. Gold H: 4 cm (1.5 in) see p. 242 92
Greek
Greek
P. 92
P. 93
93
94
Greek
Greek
P. 94
P. 95
95
155 — Pithos
159 — Chous
156 — Situla
160 — Black ware jar
157 — Gorgoneion
161 — Black-glaze mug
158 — Mask of Silenus
162 — Xenon ware oinochoe with swan
H: 6.35 cm (2.5 in) see p. 243
H: 4.8 cm (1.89 in) see p. 243
H: 6 cm (2.3 in) see p. 243
154 — Nike pendant
Greek, Hellenistic, 3rd century B.C. Gold H: 5.4 cm (2.1 in) see p. 242 96
H: 7.4 cm (2.9 in) see p. 243
H: 6.2 cm (2.4 in) see p. 244
H: 5.2 cm (2 in) see p. 244
H: 10.5 cm (4.1 in) see p. 244
H: 7.3 cm (2.8 in) see p. 244
Greek
Greek
P. 96
P. 97
97
163 — Aryballos
167 — Single-handled cup
171 — Xenon ware oinochoe
175 — Olpe with panthers and geese
164 — Aryballos
168 — Vessel in the form of a spinning top
172 — Xenon ware kylix
176 — Gnathian skythos
165 — Aryballos
169 — Cotyle
173 — Aryballos
177 — Pomegranate
166 — Aryballos
170 — Hydrolic vase
174 — Cup
178 — Gnathian skythos
H: 6.4 cm (2.5 in) see p. 245
H: 6.3 cm (2.4 in) see p. 245
H: 6.3 cm (2.5 in) see p. 245
H: 10.5 cm (4.1 in) see p. 246
98
H: 5.4 cm (2.1 in) see p. 246
H: 8.2 cm (3.2 in) see p. 246
H: 11.4 cm (4.3 in) see p. 246
H: 13.7 cm (5.3 in) see p. 247
H: 13.7 cm (5.4 in) see p. 247
D: 23.8 cm (9.4 in) see p. 247
H: 11.4 cm (4.4 in) see p. 247
H: 7.4 cm (2.9 in) see p. 247
H: 24.1 cm (9.4 in) see p. 248
H: 9.2 cm (3.6 cm) see p. 248
D: 7.62 (3 in) see p. 248
H: 9.2 cm (3.6 cm) see p. 248
Greek
Greek
P. 98
P. 99
99
179 — Black-glaze aryballos H: 11.9 cm (4.6 in) see p. 248
180 — Black-glaze mug H: 10.9 cm (4.2 in) see p. 249
181 — Black-glaze askos in the form of a knucklebone H: 8.6 cm (3.4 in) - W: 13.7 cm (5.4 in) see p. 249
182 — Black-glaze pyxis
H: 9.4 cm (3.7 in) - D: 10.9 cm (4.3 in) see p. 249
100
183 — Black-glaze mug
187 — Coin with head of Athena
191 — Aryballos
188 — Circular mirror
192 — Seated dog
185 — Xenon ware kylix
189 — Votive double axe
193 — Mouse shaped vase
186 — Stemless kylix with Arethusa
190 — Cosmetic spoon
194 — Koré
H: 6.86 cm (2.7 in) - D: 10.41 cm (4.1 in) see p. 249
184 — Black-glaze Salt with stamped decoration and ridged edge L: 4.1 cm (1.61 in) - W: 6.70 cm (2.64 in) see p. 249
D: 21.6 cm (8.5 in) see p. 250
H: 5.6 cm (2.2 in) - D: 17.8 cm (7 in) see p. 250
D: 2.5 cm (1 in) see p. 250
D: 16.6 cm (6.5 in) see p. 250
L: 1.8 cm (0.4 in) see p. 251
L: 12.4 cm (4.9 in) see p. 251
H: 6.9 cm (2.7 in) see p. 251
H: 6.9 cm (2.72 in) see p. 251
H: 4.5 cm (1.7 in) see p. 252
H: 8 cm (3.15 in) see p. 252
Greek
Greek
P. 100
P. 101
101
Roman
195 — Red-figure pyxis fragment
199 — Fibula
196 — Black-glaze kylix
200 — Spoon
H: 4.5 cm (1.7 in) see p. 252
D: 12 cm (4.7 in) see p. 253
L: 13.4 cm (5.3 in) see p. 253
L: 16 cm (6.3 in) see p. 253
197 — Red-figure pyxis with winged hippocamp D: 14.5 cm (5.7 in) see p. 253
198 — Leg of a horse
H: 19.5 cm (7.7 in) - W: 8.9 cm (3.5 in) see p. 253
102
Greek
103
P. 102
P. 103
201 — Herakles
Graeco- Roman, 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D. Silver H: 12.7 cm (5 in) see p. 254
104
Roman
Roman
P. 104
P. 105
105
Roman
P. 106
P. 107
107
203 — Victoriola
Roman, 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D. Bronze, silver H: 8.9 cm (3.5 in) see p. 254
204 — Splashed glass amphoriskos Roman, 1st century A.D. Glass H: 12 cm (4.7 in) see p. 255
202 — Splashed glass jug
205 — Amphoriskos
Roman, 1st century A.D. Glass H: 20.3 cm (8 in) see p. 254 108
Roman, 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D. Rock crystal H: 5.4 cm (2.1 in) see p. 255
Roman
Roman
P. 108
P. 109
109
206 — Lamp in the shape of Silenus Roman, 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D. Terracotta H: 7.8 cm (3.1 in) - W: 13.7 cm (5.4 in) see p. 255
209 — Baby boy 208 — Mercury and Mars Roman, 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 10.2 cm (4 in) see p. 256
207 — Young Satyr
210 — Venus
Roman, 1st century A.D. Bronze H: 9.8 cm (3.8 in) see p. 255 110
Roman, 1st – 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 7.6 cm (2.9 in) see p. 256
Roman, 1st century A.D. Terracotta H: 69.8 cm (27.4 in) see p. 256
Roman
Roman
P. 110
P. 111
111
212 — Isis-Fortuna
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 10.8 cm (4.2 in) see p. 257
211 — Marsyas
213 — Pottery fragment with erotic scene
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Pavonazzetto marble H: 33 cm (12.9 in) see p. 257 112
Roman, late 1st century B.C. Terracotta H: 6.9 cm (2.7 in) see p. 257
Roman
Roman
P. 112
P. 113
113
214 — Cuirass relief with Jupiter and Mars Roman, early 1st century A.D. Bronze H: 24.1 cm (9.4 in) – L: 19.6 cm (7.7 in) see p. 258
114
Roman
Roman
P. 114
P. 115
115
215 — Candelabrum with Jupiter-Ammun and Bacchus Roman, 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 88 cm (34.6 in) see p. 258 116
216 — Fresco panel with an idealized portrait Roman, 1st century A.D. Pigments, gesso H: 20.4 cm (8 in) L: 18.9 cm (7.4 in) see p. 258
Roman
Roman
P. 116
P. 117
117
219 — Patera with ram head handle Roman, 1st – 2nd century A.D. Bronze L: 20.32 cm (8 in) see p. 259
218 — Perfume flask Roman, 1st century A.D. Glass H: 23.5 cm (9.2 in) see p. 259
217 — Fresco with a gazelle Roman, 1st century A.D. Stucco, pigments H: 21.9 cm (8.6 in) see p. 259 118
220 — Skyphos
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Obsidian D: 8.9 cm (3.2 in) see p. 259
Roman
Roman
P. 118
P. 119
119
223 — Plutus holding a money bag Roman, 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D. Bronze L: 5 cm (1.9 in) see p. 260
225 — Ring with capricorn Roman, late 3rd century A.D. Gold, amethyst D: 2.3 cm (0.9 in) see p. 260
221 — Specillum
Roman, 1st – 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 14.9 cm (5.9 in) see p. 260
227 — Bust of Serapis Roman, 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 11.4 cm (4.4 in) see p. 261
226 — Marbled dish
Roman, mid–1st century B.C. Terracotta D: 11.6 cm (4.5 in) see p. 261
222 — Ring
Roman 2nd – 3rd century A.D. Porphyry D: 2.54 cm (1 in) see p. 260
120
224 — Cobalt blue cup
Roman, 2nd – 3rd century A.D. Glass H: 6.7 cm (2.6 in) see p. 260
Roman
Roman
P. 120
P. 121
121
228 — Micro-mosaic emblema with cat and partridge
229 — Hercules
Roman, 1st century A.D. Tesserae (stone and glass paste) H: 47 cm (18.5 in) - W: 43 cm (17 in) see p. 261 122
Roman, 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D. Bronze, silver H: 13.3 cm (5.2 in) see p. 261
Roman
Roman
P. 122
P. 123
123
230 — Juglet
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Glass H: 10.9 cm (4.2 in) see p. 262
233 — Aubergine jug Roman, 4th century A.D. Glass H: 14.4 cm (5.6 in) see p. 262
231 — Amphoriskos
Roman, 3rd – 5th century A.D. Glass H: 25 cm (9.8 in) see p. 262
124
232 — Irridescent unguentarium Roman, 4th century A.D. Glass H: 10.8 cm (3.9 in) see p. 262
Roman
Roman
P. 124
P. 125
125
234 — Venus
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 10 cm (3.9 in) see p. 263
237 — Diana
Roman, 1st century A.D. Bronze H: 7.9 cm (3.1 in) see p. 263
235 — Red-ware jug
Roman, 2nd – 3rd century A.D. Terracotta H: 14.6 cm (5.7 in) see p. 263
126
236 — Glazed cup with barbotine animals Roman, 2nd century A.D. Terracotta H: 8.4 cm (3.3 in) - D: 8.3 cm (3.3 in) see p. 263
Roman
Roman
P. 126
P. 127
127
239 — Grotesque head pendant
242 — Thetis and baby Achilles riding a Triton
240 — Penknife
243 — Winged phallus
241 — Crouching Venus
244 — Theater Mask
L: 5.7 cm (2.24 in) see p. 264
238 — Nemesis
L: 5.59 cm (2.2 in) see p. 264
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 17 cm (6.6 in) see p. 264
128
H: 5 cm (2 in) - W: 3.3 cm (1.3 in) see p. 264
H: 3.7 cm (1.4 in) see p. 265
L: 3.6 cm (1.4 in) see p. 265
H: 2.4 cm (0.94 in) - L: 3.10 cm (1.22 in) see p. 265
Roman
Roman
P. 128
P. 129
129
Italic
245 — Heart-shaped strainer
247 — Eros hairpin
246 — Red-ware head flask
248 — Hercules mingens
L: 26.3 cm (10.3 in) see p. 266
H: 21.9 cm (8.6 in) see p. 266
H: 8.3 cm (3.2 in) see p. 266
H: 6 cm (2.4 in) see p. 266
249 — Harpokrates H: 4.3 cm (1.7 in) see p. 267
130
Roman
Roman
P. 130
P. 131
131
250 — Red-figure calyx krater with warriors and griffins Faliscan, ca. 375 B.C. Terracotta H: 45.1 cm (17.6 in) see p. 267 132
Italic
Italic
P. 132
P. 133
133
134
Italic
Italic
P. 134
P. 135
135
251 — Double head flask with Satyr and Maenad Etruscan, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 14.6 cm (5.7 in) see p. 267 136
Italic
Italic
P. 136
P. 137
137
252 — Black-figure Pontic kylix Attributed to the Amphiaros Painter Etruscan, ca. 530 B.C. Terracotta H: 10.1 cm (3.9 in), D: 15.8 cm (6.2 in) see p. 268
254 — Lion
Etruscan, 6th century B.C. Bronze L: 5.4 cm (2.1 in) see p. 268
253 — Dancer
256 — Fire rake
Etruscan, 5th century B.C. Bronze H: 11.7 cm (4.6 in) see p. 268
138
Etruscan, 7th – 6th century B.C. Silver L: 23.6 cm (9.2 in) see p. 269
255 — Running figure Etruscan, 5th century B.C. Bronze H: 7 cm (2.7 in) see p. 269
Italic
Italic
P. 138
P. 139
139
257 — Oinochoe
258 — Discobolus
Etruscan, 5th century B.C. Bronze H: 30.4 cm (11.9 in) see p. 269 140
Etruscan, late 6th century B.C. Bronze H: 9.7 cm (3.8 in) see p. 270
Italic
Italic
P. 140
P. 141
141
259 — Antefix representing a dancer Etruscan, ca. 500 B. C. Terracotta H: 50.3 cm (19.8 in) - W: 26.6 cm (10.5 in) see p. 270
142
Italic
Italic
P. 142
P. 143
143
262 — Head of a youth Etruscan, 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 26.9 cm (10.5 in) see p. 271
260 — Head of a bull
Villanovan, 10th century B.C. Bronze H: 6.7 cm (2.6 in) see p. 270
261 — Horse tamer
Etruscan, 6th century B.C. Bronze H: 5.6 cm (2.2 in) see p. 270
144
Italic
Italic
P. 144
P. 145
145
263 — Standing man
Italic, Umbro-Picenean, 5th century B.C. Bronze H: 7 cm (2.7 in) see p. 271
265 — Oinochoe
Italic, Villanovan, 7th century B.C. Terracotta H: 26.7 cm (10.9 in) see p. 271
266 — Worshipper Italic, ca. 700 B.C. Bronze H: 10.8 cm (4.2 in) see p. 272
264 — Worshipper
Etruscan, early 5th century B.C. Bronze H: 11.9 cm (4.7 in) see p. 271 146
Italic
Italic
P. 146
P. 147
147
Near Eastern
267 — Amphora
270 — Askos with a duck’s head
268 — Bucchero olpe
271 — Polychrome-painted kyathos
H: 11.43 cm (4.5 in) see p. 272
H: 24 cm (9.4 in) see p. 272
H: 11.5 cm (4.3 in) see p. 272
H: 14.7 cm (5.79 in) see p. 273
269 — Bucchero oinochoe
H: 17 cm (6.7 in) - W: 13.2 cm (5.2 in) see p. 272
148
Italic
Italic
P. 148
P. 149
149
272 — Amulet
276 — Jar
Mesopotamian, ca. 3500 B.C. – 3000 B.C. Alabaster L: 3.1 cm (1.22 cm) - H: 3.1 cm (1.22 cm) see p. 273
Sumerian, ca. 3000-2500 Terracotta H: 9.1 cm (3.6 in) see p. 274
273 — Cuneiform tablet
274 — Jug
Near Eastern, ca. 1865 – 1804 B.C. Clay L: 6.3 cm (2.4 in) – W: 5.1 cm (2.0 in) see p. 273 150
Cypriot, ca. 1800 – 1650 Terracotta H: 14.6 cm (5.7 in) see p. 273
275 — Flask with cut-away spout
277 — Beaker
Cypriot, ca. 1050 – 950 B.C. Terracotta H: 12 cm (4.7 in) see p. 274
Anatolian, ca. 3000 B.C. Terracotta H: 7.3 cm (2.9 in) see p. 274
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 150
P. 151
151
278 — Seated lion
Late Uruk, 3300 – 3200 B.C. Pink limestone H: 14 cm (5.5 in) see p. 274
152
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 152
P. 153
153
279 — Cylinder seal
Sumerian, ca. 3100 – 2890 B.C. Marble H: 3.1 cm (1.2 in) see p. 274
282 — Red-polished bowl Cypriot, ca. 2000 – 1725 Terracotta D: 14 cm (5.5 in) see p. 275
281 — Amulet
Sumerian, ca. 3200 B.C. – 3000 B.C. Stone L: 3.8 cm (1.5 in) see p. 275
280 — Torso of a bearded Man
283 — Vessel
Near Eastern, 2nd millennium B.C. Terracotta H: 7 cm (2.76 in) see p. 275
154
284 — Fertility deity
Sumerian, ca. 3000 B.C. Terracotta H: 6.3 cm (2.5 in) - D: 11.9 cm (4.7 in) see p. 275
Near Eastern, ca. 2000 – 1800 BC Terracotta H: 13.6 cm (5.4 in) see p. 275
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 154
P. 155
155
285 — Round seal
Bactrian, 3rd – 2nd millennium B.C. Bronze D: 6.7 cm (2.6 in) see p. 276
288 — Rattle
Hacilar, 6th millennium B.C. Terracotta H: 11.1 cm (4.37 in) see p. 276
287 — Cylinder seal with a banquet scene Sumerian, ca. 2600 B.C. – 2334 B.C. Lapis lazuli H: 2.9 cm (1.14 in) - D: 1 cm (0.39 in) see p. 276
286 — Cuneiform tablet
289 — Red-polished ware bowl with a spout
Near Eastern, ca. 1910 – 1840 B.C. Clay L: 3.5 cm (1.3 in) – W: 4.1 cm (1.6 in) see p. 276 156
Cypriot, ca. 2000 B.C. Terracotta D: 19 cm (7.4 in) see p. 276
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 156
P. 157
157
290 — Kneeling worshipper Late Uruk, ca. 3200 – 2900 B.C. Limestone H: 12 cm (4.72 in) see p. 277
158
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 158
P. 159
159
291 — Cylinder seal with a standing man
294 — Amulet of recumbent bull
Akkadian, ca. 1400 – 1100 B.C. Stone H: 2.9 cm (1.1 in) see p. 277
Sumerian, ca. 3000 B.C. – 2800 B.C. Marble L: 3.81 cm (1.5 in) see p. 277
292 — White slip bowl
293 — Cup
Cypriot, ca. 1550 – 1415 B.C. Terracotta H: 10.1 cm (3.9 in) see p. 277 160
295 — Seated baboon
Sumerian, ca. 3000 B.C. Copper H: 8.1 cm (3.2 in) see p. 277
Sumerian, 4th – 3rd millennium B.C. Bronze L: 2.54 cm (1 in) - H: 2.3 cm (0.91 in) see p. 278
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 160
P. 161
161
296 — Cylinder seal with two seated Gods Akkadian, ca. 2279 – 2255 B.C. Green serpentine H: 3.2 cm (1.2 cm) see p. 278
298 — Bowl
Hacilar, 5th Millennium B.C. Terracotta H: 7.6 cm (2.99 in) - D: 20.9 cm (8.23 in) see p. 278
297 — Deity or priestess
Near Eastern, ca. 2000 – 1800 B.C. Terracotta H: 22 cm (8.7 in) see p. 278
299 — Phiale with omphalos
Anatolian, Phrygian, 8th century B.C. Bronze H: 15.6 cm (6.1 in) see p. 278 162
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 162
P. 163
163
300 — Bowl with a spout Sumerian, ca. 3200 B.C. Marble D: 13.9 cm (5.4 in) see p. 279
303 — Cylinder seal with a contest scene Akkadian, ca. 2234 – 2154 B.C. Green serpentine H: 3 cm (1.2 in) see p. 279
301 — Macehead
Old Babylonian, 2nd millennium B.C. Haematite H: 4.4 cm (1.7 in) see p. 279
304 — Amulet of a pregnant woman Sumerian, ca. 3000 B.C. Marble H: 2.54 cm (1 in) see p. 279
302 — Red ware kylix
305 — Cylinder seal
Cypriot, ca. 750 – 650 B.C. Terracotta D: 30.1 cm (11.8 in) see p. 279
164
Cypriot, 16th – 14th century B.C. Haematite H: 2.6 cm (1 in) see p. 280
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 164
P. 165
165
306 — Engraved shell with the head of horus Phoenician, ca. 7th century B.C. Tridacna Shell, garnet and gold inlaid eyes H: 10.2 cm (4 in) - W: 18.1 cm (7.1 in) see p. 280
166
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 166
P. 167
167
168
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 168
P. 169
169
309 — Frustoconical cup Bactrian, ca. 2000 B.C. Veined alabaster H: 9 cm (3.5 in) see p. 281
311 — Lion seal
307 — Necklace
Bactrian, ca. 2000 B.C. Bronze L: 6.6 cm (2.5 in) see p. 281
Bactrian, ca. 2200 B.C. – 1900 B.C. Gold and Turquoise L: 43.8 cm (17.24 in) see p. 280
308 — Cylinder seal with seated women and eye idols Sumerian, 3200 B.C. – 3000 B.C. Yellow stone H: 3.5 cm (1.38 in) - D: 2 cm (0.79 in) see p. 280 170
310— Cylinder seal with a bird-man Akkadian, ca. 2279 B.C. – 2255 B.C. Black stone H: 3.4 cm (1.34 in) - D: 2.2 cm (0.87 in) see p. 281
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 170
P. 171
171
314 — Mask of Humbaba the Terrible Old Babylonian, ca. 1900 – 1750 B.C. Terracotta L: 11.4 cm (4.4 in) see p. 282
313 — Abstract couple
Canaanite, 2nd millennium B.C. Bronze H: 13.3 cm (5.2 in) see p. 282
312 — Spherical jug
315 — Bull head rhyton
Cypriot, ca. 750 – 600 B.C. Terracotta H: 21.6 cm (8.5 in) see p. 281 172
Anatolian, ca. 19th – 17th century B.C. Terracotta L: 12.7 cm (5 in) see p. 282
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 172
P. 173
173
320 — Amulet
Sumerian, ca. 3200 B.C. – 2900 B.C. Aragonite H: 2.54 cm (1 in) see p. 283
316 — Necklace
Sumerian, ca. 2600 – 2400 B.C. Gold, carnelian L: 38.1 cm (15 in) see p. 282
319 — Flagon
Cypriot, ca. 750 B.C. – 650 B.C. Terracotta H: 34.1 cm (13.43 in) see p. 283
317 — Earrings
Near Eastern, 3rd Millennium B.C. Gold L: 4.4 cm (1.73 in) see p. 282 174
321 — Pazuzu pendant
318 — Head of a bull
Neo-Assyrian, 8th – 7th century B.C. Jasper H: 5.1 cm (2.01 in) see p. 283
Near Eastern, ca. 3000 B.C. Bronze H: 4.3 cm (1.7 in) see p. 283
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 174
P. 175
175
325 — Necklace
Sumerian, 2nd millennium B.C. Gold, carnelian, banded agate, amethyst L: 49.5 cm (19.4 in) see p. 284
322 — Piglet amulet
Proto-Sumerian, 4th millennium B.C. Limestone L: 5.25 cm (2.07 in) see p. 284
323 — Pomegranate
324 — Female statuette
Phoenician, 6th century B.C. Alabaster L: 5.8 cm (2.28 in) - H: 4.1 cm (1.61 in) see p. 284 176
326 — Lion head seal
Graeco- Phoenician, 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 40 cm (15.7 in) see p. 284
Sumerian, ca. 3200 B.C. – 3000 B.C. Green stone L: 4.5 cm (1.77 in) see p. 284
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 176
P. 177
177
327 — Eye idol atop an architectural structure Proto-Sumerian, 3rd millennium B.C. Chlorite H: 25.4 cm (10 in) see p. 285
178
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 178
P. 179
179
328 — Phiale with incised detailing Phoenician, 8th – 7th century B.C. Bronze D: 17.5 cm (6.9 in) see p. 285
330 — Acephalus statuette
Near Eastern, Neolithic, 6000 – 4000 B.C Porphyry H: 8.1 cm (3.2 in) see p. 285
332 — Seated Baboon
Old Babylonian, 2nd millennium B.C. Haematite H: 3.5 cm (1.38 in) see p. 286
329 — Bull head amulet
Sumerian, ca. 2500 B.C. – 2400 B.C. Limestone H: 3.2 cm (1.26 in) see p. 285
180
331 — Ceremonial axe Bactrian, ca. 2000 B.C. Arsenical bronze H: 7.6 cm (3 in) see p. 286
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 180
P. 181
181
333 — Amulet of a bound captive Proto-Sumerian, ca. 3000 B.C. Stone H: 3.7 cm (1.46 in) see p. 286
336 — Tripod bowl
Syrian, 7th – 6th Millennium B.C. Rock crystal H: 3.5 cm (1.38 in) see p. 287
335 — Axe with Gilgamesh fighting a lion Bactrian, ca. 2000 B.C. Arsenical bronze H: 9.2 cm (3.6 in) see p. 286
338 — The sun goddess, Arinna Hittite, 14th – 13th century B.C. Stone H: 6.4 cm (2.5 in) see p. 287
334 —Cylinder seal with spiral design Syrian, ca. 1850 – 1700 B.C. Haematite H: 5.7 cm (2.2 in) see p. 286
182
337 — Cylindrical bowl
Bactrian, 3rd millennium B.C. Chlorite L: 6.7 cm (2.6 in) see p. 287
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 182
P. 183
183
339 — Duck weight
Babylonian, 8th – 7th century B.C. Green diorite H: 12 cm (4.7 in) - W: 16.5 cm (6.5 in) Weight: 2209.6 g (12.1 lbs) see p. 288
340 — Ritual bowl with assembly scene
341 — Torso of a deity
Bactrian, mid- 3rd millennium B.C. Steatite H: 5.8 cm (2.2 in) see p. 288 184
Western Asiatic, 1st millennium B.C. Bronze H: 33.5 cm (13.2 in) see p. 288
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 184
P. 185
185
342 —Anthropoid sarcophagus lid
343 — Eye idol
Canaanite, ca. 14th – 13th century B.C. Terracotta H: 38.1 cm (15 in) see p. 288 186
Near Eastern, 3500 – 3000 B.C. Red quartzite H: 14 cm (5.5 in) see p. 289
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 186
P. 187
187
344 — Lama figure (Human headed bull) Sumerian, Early Dynastic, 2500 – 2400 B.C. Indurated limestone H: 7.5 cm (2.9 in) - W: 13.5 cm (5.3 in) see p. 289
188
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 188
P. 189
189
345 — Seated female deity
Phoenician, 14th – 13th century B.C. Silver H: 14.8 cm (5.8 in) see p. 289
190
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 190
P. 191
191
346 — Mask of a composite figure Sumerian, 3rd millennium B.C. Limestone, lapis lazuli, marble H: 7.4 cm (2.9 in) - W: 6.7 cm (2.6 in) see p. 290
192
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 192
P. 193
193
347 — Hedgehog
348 — Grasshopper amulet
Old Babylonian, ca. 2000 B.C. – 1500 B.C. Haematite W: 2.5 cm (0.98 in) see p. 290
Old Babylonian, ca. 2000 B.C. – 1500 B.C. Haematite L: 6.85 cm (2.7 in) see p. 290
350 — Head pendant
354 — Stamp seal
351 — Cylinder seal
355 — Stamp seal
352 — Cylinder seal
356 — Stamp Seal
353 — Stamp seal
357 — Duck weight stamp seal
L: 2 cm (0.7 in) see p. 290
H: 2.5 cm (0.9 in) see p. 291
349 — Head of a griffin
Assyrian, 1st millennium B.C. Soapstone H: 4.8 cm (1.9 in) see p. 290
194
H: 2 cm (0.7 in) see p. 291
H: 2.2 cm (0.87 in) - L: 1.9 cm (0.75 in) see p. 291
H: 1.5 cm (0.59 in) see p. 291
H: 1.24 cm (0.49 in) - D: 3.1 cm (1.22 in) see p. 291
H: 1.2 cm (0.47 in) - D: 2.2 cm (0.87 in) see p. 291
H: 1.54 cm (0.61 in) - L: 2.18 cm (0.86 in) see p. 292
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 194
P. 195
195
Far Eastern
358 — Cylinder seal with animals
362 — Cylinder seal
359 — Lion head amulet
363 — Mother goddess
H: 2.3 cm (0.91 in) - D: 2.4 cm (0.94 in) see p. 292
L: 3.8 cm (1.5 in) see p. 292
H: 2.8 cm (1.1 in) see p. 292
H: 2.7 cm (1.1 in) see p. 293
360 — Seal of a Recumbent Lion L: 2.85 cm (1.12 in) see p. 292
361 — Cylinder seal H: 2.3 cm (0.9 in) see p. 292
196
Near Eastern
Near Eastern
P. 196
P. 197
197
365 — Hand of Buddha
Southeast Asian, 13th century Bronze L: 25 cm (9.8 in) see p. 293
364 — Amphora
366 — Jar
Western Sichuan, 3rd – 2nd century B.C. Terracotta H: 31 cm (12.2 in) see p. 293 198
Chinese, Neolithic, ca. 3000 B.C. Terracotta H : 42.5 cm (16.7 in) see p. 293
Far Eastern
Far Eastern
P. 198
P. 199
199
367 — Sa Huynh pendant W: 5.08 cm (2 in) see p. 293
370 — Earring H: 5.2 cm (2.05 in) see p. 294
368 — Bracelet D: 16.8 cm (6.6 in) see p. 294
371 — Earrings L: 6.7 cm (2.64 in) see p. 294
369 — Earrings H: 4.1 cm (1.61 in) - L: 4.7 cm (1.85 in) see p. 294
372 — Bead in the shape of a monkey
200
L: 1.9 cm (0.75 in) see p. 294
Far Eastern
Far Eastern
P. 200
P. 201
201
4 — Female statuette European, Vinča, 5th millennium B.C. Terracotta H: 9.3 cm (3.6 in)
Collection Index
G1995.34 35426
The statuette, modeled by hand, was characterized by a discreet white and red polychrome in the incisions for metal rings adorning the head, which are now lost. Typologically, this image is an excellent example of the art of the culture known as Vinča (in present-day Serbia). The woman is standing with arms outstretched; her breasts are button-shaped, the buttocks are prominent, and the pubic triangle is indicated by a slight depression. The ostentation of femininity suggests that the image would have held significance in relation to human, animal and agricultural fertility. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 24 November 1995.
1 — Spiral Fibula
G1995.45 35498
5 — Abstract plaque Idol
European, 2nd – 1st millennium B.C. Bronze L: 7 cm (2.8 in)
G1998.17 35452
Iberian, 4th – 2nd millennium B.C. Slate H: 19.7 cm (7.8 in)
This fibula is a small technical masterpiece, because it consists entirely of a single square-section bronze wire, stretched and coiled to form the large spiral. The wire has been hammered to obtain the oval plate that precedes the closure device, which consists of a spring and a long spindle. Finery of this nature belongs to a group largely seen during the last phases of the Bronze Age north of the Alps and in Eastern Europe, characterized by a flat central element in an elliptical or oval shape. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 6 December 1995.
2 — Axe
This superb perforated plaque idol is bent in the shape of a hook and adorned with several hatched triangles arranged to follow the shape of the object. The polish is remarkable, as is the restrained beauty of the geometric decor and the strength of the abstracted style. Hooks are classified as a symbol of regeneration, which have been found in Iberian megalithic tombs in modern-day Portugal dating as far back as the second half of the 4th millennium B.C. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Paris, 20 October 2002.
G1996.28 35788
6 — Eye goddess
European, Neolithic, ca. 2800 – 1700 B.C. Flint H: 35.2 cm (13.8 in) This thin-butted axe, Denmark, early bronze age, is of slender slightly tapering form with finely curved blade; the brownish-grey flint has black and cream swirling inclusions. Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 17 December 1996, lot 281; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1996.
3 — Torque
G2000.29 35468
Iberian, 3rd – early 2nd millennium B.C. Marble H: 13.2 cm (5.2 in)
G1997.35 35529
European,15th – 14th century B.C. Gold D: 14.3 cm (5.6 in)
This finely carved eye goddess belongs to a group of about 20 richly decorated cylindrical idols from southwestern Spain, held in various museums and private collections. It is believed to represent the Millaran Eye Goddess, worshipped during the Megalithic Period in the Iberian peninsula. The large, so called Picasso eyes, are formed with a central spherical groove, surrounded by eyelashes enclosed in a circle. Above, strands of hair are depicted with short, angled vertical lines over each eye, followed by two arcs to depict the eyebrows. The wavier remaining hair and side locks continue across the top, falling unbound on the back to the bottom of the cylinder. Below, three parallel arcs represent facial tattooing, which could also have been interpreted as a beard. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Paris, 23 June 2000.
An impressive torque, which was worn as a necklace, was made from a single solid gold casting. It is tipped by shrinking rhomboidal elements, which stick into the neck as it is put on. The very precise weight and shape of the section suggest that the necklace was made in a stone bivalve mold. Also known in the bronze version, torques of this type are more often in twisted wire.
7 — Ring Idol pendant
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 26 October 1997.
The idol was hammered into a very thin gold plate. It is comprised of a circle surmounted by a small trapezoidal element with a rounded edge. A small circular hole pierces the upper part, while raised buttons adorn the base and edges. Despite its simplicity, this shape could symbolize a human figure with a round body and a stylized
G2000.83 35570
Balkan, 5th millennium B.C. Gold H: 9.1 cm (3.6 in)
202
203
P. 202
P. 203
head. The use of these objects is not known: the presence of the hole reasonably suggests that it was a pendant (necklaces, earrings) or possibly a decorative applique. Provenance Sotheby's, New York, 8 December 2000, lot 49; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 December 2000.
8 — Axe
G2002.18 35673
European, 4th millennium B.C. Green schist H: 34.5 cm (13.5 in)
12 — Pair of earrings European, Celtic, end of 6th – 5th century B.C. Gold L: 5.6 cm (2.2 in)
G2000.83 35570
These two earrings take a unique shape, composed of a large spiral serving to suspend the jewelry and a triangular decorative element, richly ornamented with granular geometric motifs. The technique of this granulation, known in the Near East since the end of the 3rd millennium B.C., reached its peak with the items produced by Etruscan artisans during the 7th and the 6th centuries before this era. In the Celtic world, however, the decorative granulation was rare and seldom applied by the goldsmiths. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Munich, 25 March 2004.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 3 December 2002.
9 — Bat head knuckle
13 — Horse fibula
G2000.36 35653
G2002.16 35761
Romano- Celtic, 2nd – 3rd century A.D. Bronze L: 2.8 cm (1.1 in)
Northern European, Celtic, 3rd century B.C. – 2nd century A.D. Bronze L: 7.7 cm (3 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 3 December 2002.
The lively bat’s head served as a ring decoration and also as a weapon. Worn on a finger, the shaped base provides support against the palm when the fist is closed and the “ring” is used as a “bronze knuckle”. The mouth was originally filled with red enamel, some of which still remains.
14 — Head
G2000.37 35703
Iberian, 6th century B.C. Bronze H: 2 cm (0.79 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 1 August 2000.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 1 August 2000.
10 — Axe
G1993.7 35555
Central European, Chalcolithic, ca. 4000 – 3500 B.C. Copper L: 29.2 cm (11.4 in)
15 — Fish fibula
This enormous axe-adze was cast in a single piece without subsequent hammering or forging. This is made of unalloyed copper cast in a single piece mold, using ores from Transylvania and Slovakia. It is among the first large metal objects made in Europe.
G2002.17 35762
Romano- Celtic, 2nd – 3rd century A.D. Bronze L: 3.4 cm (1.34 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 3 December 2002.
Provenance Ex- Lord McAlpine of West Green collection, Oxford, prior to 1987; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 16 December 1993. Exhibited and Published Antiquities from Europe and the Near East in the collection of the Lord McAlpine of West Green, Oxford, 1987, p. 92; Power Tools: the Stone Age and Bronze Age in North Europe, Frederick Shultz Ancient Art, New York, 1993, no. 57.
16 — Impasto mug
G1995.10 35559
Central European, Chalcolithic, ca. 2000 – 1700 B.C. Terracotta H: 13.9 cm (5.4 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 31 May 1995.
11 — Fibula
G2007.2 35680
European, Bronze Age, 2nd millennium B.C. Bronze L: 18.3 cm (7.2 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Frankfurt am Main, 29 January 2007. 204
205
P. 204
P. 205
17 — Semi-spherical bowl
G2000.53 35564
Egyptian, Early Dynastic- Old Kingdom, ca. 3100 – 2575 B.C. Green Schist D: 12.7 cm (5 in)
21 — Ushabti of Tay-Sen
G1997.32 35528
Egyptian, New Kingdom, Dynasty 19, ca. 1295 – 1186 B.C. Painted wood H: 15.2 cm (6 in)
The bowl was cut with finesse and precision in a block of green schist. The profile is slightly curved and the rounded lip is hardly raised inwards. An engraved circle underlines the center of the vase. In ancient Egypt, stone vases were considered important luxury items: their principal function was to contain ointments and cosmetic oils, preserving them due to the thickness of their lining. These substances had innumerable daily uses (medications, cosmetics) and also played a primary role in religious life (including offerings, funerary rites, etc.).
Admirably, this ushabti retains its ancient polychrome. Its inscription indicates that this is a female figure in the name of Tay-Sen. Wrapped in her shroud and wearing a tripartite wig with a multi-strand pearl necklace, she crosses her hands on her chest. The ushabtis were generally made of faience, and copies in wood, stone or bronze are rare and intended only for the wealthiest classes. Their mission was to accompany the departed to his final resting place, performing various tasks in daily life in his place.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 21 October 2000.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 21 October 1997.
18 — Finger amulet
G1996.27 35511
22 — Black-top jar in the shape of a fish
Egyptian, Late Period, ca. 713 – 332 B.C. Obsidian L: 9.8 cm (3.8 in) In the form of two finely tapered fingers with delicately carved nails and joints incised on both sides. The brown and black stone (obsidian) is highly polished. The translation of the Egyptian words for these amulets is "finger of heavy stone at the girdle," and their traditional position on a mummy is the left side of the pelvis, never higher than the middle of the stomach. Provenance Ex- Norbert Schimmel Collection, New York, prior to 1974; Sotheby's, New York, 17 December 1996, lot 237; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1996. Exhibited and Published MUSCARELLA, O.W., ed., Ancient Art, the Norbert Schimmel Collection, catalogue of the exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1974-76, Mainz, 1974, no. 237, illus.; SETTGAST, J., GEHRIG, U., STROMMENGER, E., and VIERNEISEL, K., Von Troja bis Armana, The Norbert Schimmel Collection, New York, catalogue of the exhibition at the Aegyptisches Museum Berlin, the Museum für Kunst un Gewerb, Hamburg, and the Prähistorischen Staatsammlung, Munich, 1978, Mainz 1978, no. 262 illus.; Sotheby's, New York, 17 December 1996, lot 237.
19 — Scarab ring
G2000.42 35562
Egyptian, Predynastic, Naqada I, ca. 3900 – 3450 B.C. Terracotta H: 19.5 cm (7.7 in)
G2001.8 35721
Egyptian, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 B.C. – 1070 B.C. Red jasper D: 2.9 cm (1.14 in) The ring is sculpted in open work: a scarab shelters beneath lotus flowers. This is probably a Phoenician object in Egyptianizing style.
This container is composed of two elements: the body of the fish, modeled in three dimensions, which supports the small point of the ogival jar typical of the ceramics of Naqada. Although well-verified by other examples, this type of vessel is extremely rare and little-known. The biochromatic red-brick and black combination was obtained by an elaborate firing technique, which necessitated heating in an oxidized and subsequently reductive atmosphere (in which the vase was then re-heated). The Naqada period is one of the best known from Pre-Pharaonic Egypt, when the region of the Nile was not yet unified. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 21 October 2000.
23 — Statuette of a woman
G2006.1 35612
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Stone H: 24.1 cm (9.5 in) - W: 5.3 cm (2.1 in) The statuette represents a feminine figure standing in a strictly frontal position, with feet posed on a small base. The figure wears a slinking long robe to her ankles, placed perfectly in relief on her sinuous and very feminine form. In particular, one notes the very fine rendering of the chest, paired with rounded buttocks. Two tresses descend onto the shoulders, while the hair at the back presents a large rectangular mass. Forms, proportions, and facial traits and style are typical of Egyptian statuaries from the Middle Kingdom. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Paris, 6 October 2006.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 June 2001.
24 — Vase 20 — Relief with the figure of a servant
Egyptian, Amarna Period, Dynasty 18, ca. 1353 – 1336 B.C. Limestone H: 22.2 cm (8.7 in) – L: 16.5 cm (6.4 in) Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 8 June 1994, lot 306; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 1994.
G1994.6 35556
G2009.1 35681
Egyptian, Old Kingdom - Dynasty 6, ca. 2323 – 2150 B.C. Alabaster H: 13.9 cm (5.5 in) Provenance Ex- private collection, South America, acquired in the 1950s; Ex- private collection, UK, acquired in the 1970s; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 30 October 2009.
206
207
P. 206
P. 207
25 — Relief with the head of Horus
G2000.9 35547
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Painted Limestone H: 9.5 cm (3.7 in)
29 — Cylinder Jar
G2001.103 35755
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, ca. 2649 – 2150 B.C. Veined alabaster H: 9.5 cm (3.74 in) - D: 3.8 cm (1.5 in)
This relief is decorated with the head of a falcon preceding a green vertical line. The bird retains abundant traces of polychrome (sky blue for the body, black for the beak, green and red for the head) and is to be identified as Horus, one of the best-known symbols of the pharaoh. The vertical object painted with a brownish red and posed on the head of the bird could be an element of the pschent crown, which established the pharaonic power over both Upper and Lower Egypt. In this case, the relief would have reproduced a part of the name of Horus (the first and oldest of the five names of the royal titulary) of a particular Pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom, perhaps of Amenemhat V.
This vessel in the cylindrical form has thin walls, an everted lip and a flat base inscribed in ink with the numbers “68725”.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 29 May 2000.
30 — Block statue of an official
26 — Ring with a seated cat
Provenance Ex- Cattaoui private collection, France; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 1 December 2001
G1999.8 35457
Egyptian, Saite Period, Dynasty 26, ca. 688 – 252 B.C. Schist H: 25.4 cm (10 in) G2001.2 35720
Egyptian, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 - 1070 B.C. Cornelian H: 4.4 cm (1.73 in)
This remarkably artistic sculpture depicts a man squatting on the ground, his legs bent towards his chest and his arms crossed over his knees. His name would have been inscribed on the posterior pillar. The block statue sculptural type dates back to the 12th dynasty and was typically reserved for senior officials (of non-royal rank). During the Late Period, it was popular to place these statues in the temples, allowing the deceased to participate in religious life.
This elegant ring is carved in semiprecious carnelian. The veins of the stone are artfully used to enhance the form of the ring and of the beautiful cat sitting atop the shank. The feline poses in the typical fashion for Egyptian cats with its forelegs straight and close together and its tail held tightly beside one hind leg and forepaw. The space below the cat’s belly is open, making the sculpture extremely delicate and fine. Cats were sacred to the goddess Bastet, whose center of worship was in the north of Egypt.
Provenance Ex- Gawain McKinley private collection, London, Paris, New York; Sotheby’s, New York, 5 June 1999, lot 63; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 5 June 1999.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 June 2001.
31 — Relief of Sepy, priestess of Hathor
G2001.11 35439
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Painted Limestone H: 34.6 cm (13.6 in)
27 — Hippopotamus
G2001.31 35587
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12, ca. 1981 – 1802 Faience H: 10.8 cm (4.2 in) As indicated by the curvature of the body, the animal is striding towards the left. The turquoise surface of the skin is covered in black painted plant motifs, which reproduce the aquatic life of the Nile (including lilies, papyrus and paper reeds.) Rendering the image still more lively in some cases, we even see painted insects, frogs, and birds. A familiar but fearsome animal, the hippopotamus has appeared for centuries to in Egyptian iconography, suggestive of damage to farmland and danger to men and navigators alike. Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 12 June 2001, lot 203; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 12 June 2001.
28 — Necklace
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
Provenance Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2001, lot 91; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 2001.
32 — Thin walled Kerma ware vase
G2010.1 35682
Nubian, Kerma culture, ca. 1750 – 1550 B.C. Terracotta H: 11.18 cm (4.4 in) – D: 14.48 cm (5.7 in) G2001.43 35663
Egyptian, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 – 1070 B.C. Cornelian, gold L: 41.1 cm (162 in)
Decorated in very low relief with a scene presenting two women: the mother, who raises lotus flowers to smell their perfume, and behind her, her oldest daughter. Dressed and styled in the same manner, the two women are seated on a long, rounded low bench. Under the seat are their makeup boxes and circular mirrors. The inscription, carved in relief in the hollow, indicates the name of the first woman and her function: she was called Sepy, and she was priestess in a sanctuary devoted to the goddess Hathor.
Exquisitely finely potted and decorated with a black top and intermediate band of color. Provenance Excavated by Reisner in 1914, excavation numbers inked on one side, and on file in Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Ex- collection of HRH The Prince George, Duke of Kent & HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (d. 1942), received as a gift from the Government of Sudan in the 1930s; thence by decent to the collection of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London in 2010.
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209
P. 208
P. 209
33 — Head of a lion
G2001.93 35597
Egyptian, Roman period, ca. 1st century B.C. – 3rd century A.D. Basalt H: 16.5 cm (6.5 in) - W: 18.5 cm (7.3 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 16 October 2001.
G2005.2 35423
G2000.20 35700
Egyptian, Early Dynastic period, ca. 3rd millennium B.C. Alabaster H: 8.6 cm (3.39 in) Beautiful jar with offset base, ribbed ovoid body, pierced lug handles on the shoulder, and rounded rim.
The persona on this relief is found at the edge of the scene, further suggested by the border of the polychrome tiles incised on the right (known as a khekher frieze). The man, of whose origin in name in function are probably written on the line above, is rendered in profile and turned to the left. This suggests a prestigious role in society, represented bald and richly adorned with a large necklace.
Provenance Sotheby's, New York, 14 June 2000, lot 3; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 14 June 2000.
39 — Arm of a statuette
Provenance Ex- US private collection, New England; Ex- Hurst and Hurst, Cambridge, MA, 1984; Christie's, New York, 19 December 2005, lot 21; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 December 2005.
G2001.60 35592
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, ca. 2649 – 2150 B.C. Wood H: 22.9 cm (9 in)
G2006.2 35422
Egyptian, Late Period, ca. 713 – 332 B.C. Painted wood H: 34.5 cm (13.6 in) - W: 66.3 cm (26.1 in)
The long, thin wooden arm belonged to an Egyptian statuette: the wrist is adorned with a red bracelet edged with black. Statues were placed in the tombs near the mummy and sometimes even inside the sarcophagus, playing a role as an alternative receptacle for the soul of the deceased. Increasingly seen late in the Old Kingdom period, the practice became more prevalent in the Middle Kingdom. Provenance Ex- private collection, 8 May 1890 (written on inside shoulder); The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 July 2001.
This sarcophagus, constituted of nailed wooden boards. Upright wooden dividers share the scene in two decorative tableaus, with a painted inscription and two statuettes representing respective sons of Horus: They appear to be supernatural figures (referred to as genies) charged with protecting the different organs of the deceased. Here, we see Qebehsenuef with the head of a falcon (for the intestines) and Duamutef with the head of Horus (for the stomach). Their remaining two brothers would probably have been found on the parallel panell of the sarcophagus. The composition is enriched by a very well conserved polychrome, completely in tones of yellow ochre.
40 — Red vase with centipede marking
G2016.1 35686
Egyptian, Predynastic period, ca. 4500 – 3100 B.C. Terracotta H: 28.45 cm (11.2 in) The centipede marking represents a statement of ownership before hieroglyphics came into use.
Provenance Ex- Philip Adams private collection, acquired in 1972; Ex- Michael Ball private collection; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 6 October 2006.
36 — Early Dynastic vessel
Provenance Christie’s, London, 15 April 2015, lot 16; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 April 2015.
38 — Early Dynastic Jar
Egyptian, Late Period, ca. 713 – 332 B.C. Limestone H: 34.4 cm (13.5 in)
35 — Sarcophagus panel
G2015.1 35683
Egyptian, Predynastic Period, Naqada II – III, ca. 3450 – 3100 B.C. Breccia H:10.2 cm (4 in)
This beast holds his head upright and stares straight in front of him. The head, which has lost part of its right half, was carved from a small block of dark gray basalt. It likely belonged to a lion statuette, as indicated by the very precise rendering of the structure of the head and the fine work of the mane.
34 — Relief representing a high statesman
37 — Jar
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Glendale, California, 2 August 2016.
G2006.4 35773
Egyptian, Early Dynastic period, ca. 3rd millennium B.C. Breccia H: 5.6 cm (2.2 in) Provenance Ex- European private collection; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 6 October 2006. 210
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41 — Cylindrical jar
G2002.5 35426
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, ca. 2649 – 2150 B.C. Alabaster H: 33.2 cm (13 in) The shape is as simple as it is elegant: a long cylinder with a flat base, seen with a rounded and protruding lip; a thin cord in relief is carved just under the lip. Seen filtered through light, the play of natural veins of stone is rendered transparent, both light and dark, horizontal and wavy, making this object even more impressive to the eye of the modern viewer. The stone vases, which appeared only in the tombs of royalty or members of the wealthy classes, were considered objects of great luxury. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 16 May 2002.
45 — Ring with a gazelle in a papyrus thicket Egyptian, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 – 1070 B.C. Faience H: 1.9 cm (0.75 in)
G1995.28 35687
These faience objects were the costume jewelry of the New Kingdom. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 July 1995.
46 — Bastet
G1993.4 35474
Egyptian, Ptolemaic Period, ca. 304 - 30 B.C. Faience H: 6.7 cm (2.6 in)
42 — Pointed spoon
G2015.2 35615
Egyptian, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, ca. 1550 – 1295 B.C. Alabaster L: 14.6 cm (5.7 in) The spoon is carved in an oblong fragment of beige alabaster, crossed horizontally by light veins. The body, perfectly rounded and polished, is in the shape of a lanceolate leaf; it bears no trace of incised decoration. At the rear, the container is provided with a small, cylindrical handle. The precise use of this object is unknown, but we imagine that it would have been used in the preparation or manipulation of cosmetic powder rather than as a table spoon. Provenance Christie's, London, 15 April 2015, lot 46; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 15 April 2015.
43 — Foot of a statuette
G2007.4 35774
G2001.30 35586
Egyptian, Late period, ca. 713 – 332 B.C. Faience H: 5.6 cm (2.2 in) The surface of the amulet retains its brilliant turquoise color. Despite the absence of some notable attributes, it is evident it represents the human form of the god Thoth, with his face completely replaced by an ibis head. The standing body appears young, yet despite its natural position and beautiful artistic qualities, the zoomorphic component renders the image almost grotesque. A lunar deity, Thoth had reigned over all intellectual activity with his unique skills: a sort of divine secretary, he was considered the inventor of writing and the master and patron of the scribes.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 31 January 2007.
G2001.72 35593
Egyptian, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 – 1070 B.C. Steatite H: 6.6 cm (2.6 in) - W: 6.6 cm (2.6 in)
This is part from the right side of a palette that was modeled in the shape of a fish, while on the other side, the stone was carved to transform the sculpture into a container. Only the patina surrounding the mouth of the vessel, enriched with numerous anatomical details, is preserved. Despite a certain formal stylization, it is probable that the fish represented is a carp, a species frequently found in the fresh waters of the large rivers such as the Nile. The exact function of this palette is unknown. It suggests use for either sacred purposes (such as libations and burning perfume) or domestic use (preparation of cosmetic products). Provenance Ex- Heermaneck private collection, New York, 1970's; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
Provenance Sotheby's, New York, 8 June 1994, lot 72; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 1994.
47 — Thoth
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, ca. 2649 – 2150 B.C. Wood L: 4.8 cm (1.9 in)
44 — Cosmetic palette in the form of a fish
The amulet (with a suspension found on the back of the neck) is molded in faience in a beautiful shade of turquoise. She represents a hybrid goddess with the body of young woman, showcasing slender forms which emphasize her tight dress. Her lioness's head is provided with a mane as well as a tripartite wig. In her left hand, she holds a scepter. This amulet represents Bastet, a divine figure who enjoyed great popularity during the Third Intermediate Period. A protective figure and mistress of animals, she was the gentle and merciful form of the dangerous goddess Sekhmet.
Provenance Ex- private collection, Germany, 1955-1965; Sotheby's, New York, 12 June 2001, lot 164; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 12 June 2001.
48 — Lion headed snake
G2003.8 35768
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, ca. 2649 – 2150 B.C. Lapis lazuli H: 2.5 cm (1 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 29 October 2003.
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213
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49 — Horus
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, ca. 2649 – 2150 B.C. Onyx H: 2.79 cm (1.1 in)
54 — Scarab Egyptian, Late period, ca. 713 – 332 B.C. Obsidian L: 2 cm (0.8 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 24 October 2007.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
G2007.6 35776
50 — Cosmetic container with lug handles
G2001.68 35747
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Diorite H: 3.2 cm (1.26 in) - D: 4.9 cm (1.93 in)
55 — Scarab
G2001.50 35731
Egyptian, Late period, ca. 713 – 332 B.C. Green jasper L: 1.78 cm (0.7 in)
Provenance Ex- Rosa Valantine collection, New York; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 July 2001.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
56 — Tauret
51 — Kohl jar
G2001.47 35729
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Diorite H: 2 cm (0.8 in) - D: 4 cm (1.6 in)
G2003.7 35767
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, ca. 2649 – 2150 B.C. Haematite H: 3.05 cm (1.2 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 29 October 2003.
Provenance Ex- Flimm collection; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 20 June 2001.
57 — Kohl jar 52 — Four-headed ram
G2001.51 35732
G2001.28 35584
Egyptian, Late period, ca. 713 – 332 B.C. Diorite H: 4.3 cm (1.7 in) This speckled diorite statuette features a four-headed ram carved from a small stone. The four heads likely imply the multiplicity of the meaning of this amulet. Two of his heads look front and two backwards respectively, each with a single wound horn. The beast appears to move slowly, his left paws advancing forward. Numerous very important deities of the Egyptian world were represented by the ram (such as Khnum, Amon, Osiris or Herychef ).
G2001.63 35742
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Diorite H: 4 cm (1.57 in) - D: 5.2 cm (2.05 in) Provenance Ex- Rosa Valantine collection, New York; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 July 2001.
58 — Cosmetic container with lug handles
G2001.69 35748
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Diorite H: 4.6 cm (1.81 in ) - D: 4.1 cm (1.61 in)
Provenance Ex- private collection, Germany, 1955 - 1965; Sotheby's, New York, 12 June 2001, lot 163; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 12 June 2001.
Provenance Ex- Rosa Valantine collection, New York; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 July 2001.
53 — Votive ear plugs
G2001.73 35750
Egyptian, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 – 1070 B.C. Glass H: 2.9 cm (1.14 in) - L: 2.2 cm (0.87 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 26 April 2001.
59 — Macehead
G2000.5 35645
Egyptian, Predynastic period, Naqada I, 3900 – 3450 B.C. Diorite D: 8.5 cm (3.35 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 May 2000.
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60 — Kohl Jar
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Alabaster H: 3.05 cm (1.2 in)
66 — Ptah Egyptian, Old Kingdom, ca. 2649 – 2150 B.C. Cornelian H: 2.54 cm (1 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 29 October 2003.
G2001.49 35803
61 — Kohl Jar
G2001.59 35739
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Alabaster H: 4.8 cm (1.89 in) - D: 4.8 cm (1.89 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 19 June 2001.
G2001.71 35831
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 B.C. - 1640 B.C. Alabaster H: 4 cm (1.57 in)
68 — Head of a ram or bull
G2001.27 35724
Egyptian, Predynastic period, Naqada II - III, ca. 3450 – 3100 B.C. Quartz H: 4.1 cm (1.61 in)
Provenance Ex- Rosa Valantine collection, New York; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 July 2001.
63 — Kohl Jar
G2001.36 35726
Egyptian, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 – 1070 B.C. Glass H: 3.4 cm (1.34 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 July 2001.
62 — Rimless Cosmetic Container
67 — Inlay in the form of a "Ba" bird
G2003.10 35769
Provenance Ex- private collection, Germany, acquired in 1955–1965; Sotheby's, New York, 12 June 2001, lot 161; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 12 June 2001.
G2001.64 35743
69 — Head of a Pharoah
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Alabaster H: 3.2 cm (1.26 in) - D: 2.9 cm (1.14 in) Provenance Ex- Rosa Valantine collection, New York; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 July 2001.
64 — Cosmetic Container
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Paris, 24 June 2000.
G2001.70 35749
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Alabaster H: 2.8 cm (1.1 in) - D: 4 cm (1.57 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Bermudez, 1 October 1993.
G2000.7 35697
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 29 May 2000.
G1993.1 35560
Egyptian, Third Intermediate period, ca. 1070 – 713 B.C. Cornelian H: 3.65 cm (1.44 in)
70 — Predynastic jar
Egyptian, Predynastic period, ca. 4th millennium B.C. Stone H: 5.7 cm (2.24 in)
Provenance Ex- Rosa Valantine collection, New York; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 July 2001.
65 — Tauret
G2000.28 35702
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, ca. 2649 – 2150 B.C. Cornelian H: 3.45 cm (1.36 in)
71 — Predynastic jar
G2000.8 35698
Egyptian, Predynastic period, Naqada II - III, ca. 3450 – 3100 B.C. Breccia D: 3.8 cm (1.5 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 29 May 2000.
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72 — Predynastic Ovoid vessel
G2001.32 35725
Egyptian, Predynastic period, Naqada II, ca. 3450 – 3300 B.C. Stone H: 4.7 cm (1.85 in)
77 — Palette in the shape of a surgeon's knife
Provenance Ex- Lord Rea private collection, United Kingdom, 1846 - 1916; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 19 June 2001.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 15 February 1997.
78 — Early Dynastic amulet of a grasshopper
73 — Cosmetic vessel
G2001.62 35741
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Wood L: 4.9 cm (1.93 in) - H: 3.5 cm (1.38 in)
Egyptian, Early Dynastic, ca. 3rd millennium B.C. Stone L: 6.1 cm (2.4 in)
79 — Funerary mask G2001.29 35585
Egyptian, Late Period, ca. 713 – 332 B.C. Faience H: 5.9 cm (2.3 in) The statuette, provided with a rod in the back, represents Thueris, the female divinity with composite forms, which stands on its hind legs. Only the tripartite hairstyle and the breasts bring the figure closer to being human. Otherwise, her body is composed of the head and chest of a hippopotamus, the paws of a lion, and the back and tail of crocodile. Thueris absorbs and synthesizes the threatening properties of these three animals and transforms them into positive qualities of protection, above all towards pregnant women and newborns.
G1993.3 35473
Egyptian, Third Intermediate Period – Late Period, Dynasty 22 – 26, ca. 945 – 525 B.C. Stuccoed and painted wood, gauze H: 15.2 cm (6 in) This beautiful mask would have been found within the internal coffin of a sarcophagus, typically placed directly on the face of the mummy. Set against the white paint of the skin, black large eyes and thick brow lines dominate in striking black contrast. The facial features are framed by a wig, a blue-green color, bordered by a yellow and red band. As intended, these strikingly vibrant and expressive details juxtaposed the uniformity of the bodily remains. Provenance Sotheby's, New York, 14 December 1993, lot 367; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 14 December 1993.
Provenance Ex- private collection, Germany, 1955 - 1965; Sotheby's, New York, 12 June 2001, lot 164; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 12 June 2001.
80 — Kohl jar
75 — Kohl Jar
G2001.48 35730
Egyptian, Early Dynastic period, Dynasty 2, ca. 2900 – 2649 B.C. Pink veined alabaster 3.05 cm (1.2 in)
Egyptian, Predynastic Period, Naqada I-II, ca. 3900 – 3300 B.C. Terracotta D: 14.2 cm (5.5 in) Provenance Christies, London, 15 April. 2015, lot 13; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 April 2015.
G2001.46 35728
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Anhydrite 2.29 cm (0.9 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
76 — Black-top red ware bowl with tripod feet
G2006.3 35772
Provenance Ex- Guy Weill Goudchaux collection; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 6 October 2006.
Provenance Ex- Rosa Valantine private collection, New York; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 July 2001
74 — Thueris
G1997.3 35630
Egyptian, Predynastic, Period, Naqada II, ca. 3450 – 3300 B.C. Slate L: 10.2 cm (4 in)
81 — Female figure amulet G2015.3 35684
G1996.5 35502
Egyptian, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 – 1070 B.C. Wood H: 6.7 cm (2.6 in) The woman is standing, wearing a long, very tight dress, which places her feminine forms in relief. Her head is covered by a spherical wig with tiered strands, decorated with a frontal uraeus (a rearing cobra). Her right arm is attached to a vertical plank of the same height as the statuette. Given its size, one can imagine that this figure would have been an amulet. It was unusual for wood pieces to survive. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Zurich, 16 May 1996.
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82 — Male figure amulet
G1996.4 35501
Egyptian, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 – 1070 B.C. Wood H: 6.7 cm (2.6 in)
87 — Cosmetic container
G2001.66 35746
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Anhydrite H: 5.9 cm (2.32 in) - D: 4.2 cm (1.65 in)
The young man seen here is reproduced in one of the canonical typologies of ancient Egyptian statuaries: he stands in a frontal position with the left leg advanced and his arms firm along the flanks, wearing only a striated loincloth and a short wig decorated with a uraeus in the center of the forehead. The hole pierced into the support pillar allowed this statuette to be hung and used as an amulet. It was unusual for wood pieces to survive.
Provenance Ex- Rosa Valantine collection, New York; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 July 2001.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Zurich, 16 May 1996.
88 — Stemless red-figure kylix depicting an Amazonomachy
83 — Macehead
G1997.21 35435
Possibly by Aristophanes Greek, Attic, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 6.6 cm (2.6 in) - D: 17.5 cm (6.9 in)
G2000.6 35799
Egyptian, Prehistoric Period, Badarian, ca. 5th millennium B.C. Limestone L: 10.4 (4 in)
This beautifully crafted and extraordinarily preserved kylix, a wine drinking cup, is possibly one of just three additional works by the Greek vase painter Aristophanes. The use of the red-figure technique exquisitely illustrates an impassioned fight scene between hoplites, or Greek soldiers, in motifs that figure around the entire perimeter of the mouth and interior of the cup. Only the handles and decorative palmette elements are left bare. The well-known scene is an Amazonomachy: Greek warriors fighting savages or locked in combat with a mortally wounded Amazon feature prominently on the exterior of the bowl, while in the tondo, the theme returns with an Amazon on horseback, who threatens his spear at a Greek hoplite sporting a pilos. The hoplite is undoubtedly in a very bad position, with one knee on the ground.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 May 2000.
84 — Kohl jar
G2001.67 35745
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Anhydrite H: 4.1 cm (1.61 in) - D: 3.6 cm (1.42 in)
Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 62-64, no. 21 (cover piece); Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February - 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005; GLUEK, G., From Myth to Life: Images of Woman from the Classical World, The New York Times, August 20, 2004, p. B28.
Provenance Ex- Rosa Valantine collection, New York; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 July 2001.
85 — Cosmetic lidded vessel with handles
G2001.61 35740
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Anhydrite L: 4.2 cm (1.65 in) - H: 2.2 cm (0.87 in)
G2001.65 35744
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030 – 1640 B.C. Anhydrite H: 5.1 cm (2.01 in) - D: 4.1 cm (1.61 in) Provenance Ex- Rosa Valantine collection, New York; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 July 2001.
89 — Siana cup
G1995.29 35400
Attributed to the Taras Painter Greek, Attic, 560 B. C. Terracotta H: 13.6 cm (5.3 in) – D: 27.9 cm (10.9 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 July 2001.
86 — Kohl jar
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Geneva, 3 July 1997.
This Siana cup is very large, as is typical of Attic objects of this shape produced during the second quarter of the 6th century B.C. Its name derives from the ancient city where it was first found: Siana, on the Greek island of Rhodes. The interior depicts a warrior, naked except for his high-crested helmet, carrying a round shield and spear. He runs left, his feet stepping on the curving line of an ornately colored tondo, with concentric lines and tongues that alternate between purple and black. Purple and white pigments employed elsewhere for design are still visible in the blazons, and on the central horse in a cavalcade of five galloping horsemen in the cup's primary scene. Dressed in short chitons (chitoniskoi), these horsemen prepare to lance their spears. Interestingly, because of a shortage of space, the final horse is depicted as half-figure. On the B side, three pairs of dueling warriors are all also equipped with high-crested helmets, shields and spears. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Montreal, 6 November 1995. Exhibited and Published BRIJDER H. A. G., Siana cups I and Komast cups, Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam, 1983, p. 252-253, no. 173, pl. 34 a-b, 36 j.
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90 — Red-figure squat lekythos with Artemis
G1995.2 35394
Attributed to the Painter Oxford 1920 Greek, Attic, ca. 450 B.C. Terracotta H: 15.8 cm (6.2 in), D: 10.1 cm (3.9 in)
Four hoplites, wearing helmets and shields, are embroiled in a bitter battle. One is on the ground, mortally pierced by a spear; this would be Patroclus. The back shows an apotropic eye. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Geneva, 11 May 1997.
An extremely fine quality red-figure lekythos is decorated with Artemis in her role as a huntress. The goddess moves rapidly to the right, bowstring drawn. She wears a long, finely-pleated chiton with an overfall (apoptygma) girdled at her waist and a panther skin draped around her shoulders. Her hair is dressed under a cap (saccos), with an errant lock just in front of her ear. A quiver is behind her, capped at both ends. Provenance Hesperia Arts Auction, New York, 27 November 1990, lot 119; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 17 February 1995. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 50, no. 11; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005; GLUEK, G., From Myth to Life: Images of Woman from the Classical World, The New York Times, August 20, 2004, p. B28.
91 — Black-figure neck amphora with Athena and chariot
G1995.1 35483
Attributed to the Dot-band Class, near to the Edinburgh Painter Greek, Attic, ca. 500 B.C. Terracotta H: 22.5 cm (8.8 in)
Side A of the amphora depicts the goddess Athena mounting a four-horse chariot (quadriga) and holding a rein in each hand (with a goad in the right as well). She is helmeted and wears a patterned garment, a transverse himation over a chiton. The B side shows a warrior carrying two spears and holding a shield blazoned with dolphins. He is flanked by elderly, bearded figures dressed in himation, to whom he bids farewell. The neck and surface below the triple-reeded handles are palmettes with stems, some curving up to link with lotus flowers. Rays spring from the torus foot, offset by double dots above them and a band of short strokes around the shoulder. This ornamentation gives the Dot-band Class its name, close in style to the Edinburgh Painter. White and purple pigment were added to distinguish further details. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 13 January 1995.
G1995.8 35485
Greek, Corinthian, 6th century B.C. Terracotta H: 13.7 cm (5.3 in), D: 17.9 cm (7 in) The stemless cup has an ornamentation on its interior: a figure of a komast, a participant in the komos ritualistic procession. Perhaps a dancer, he moves rapidly across a space filled with small and large rosettes, costume phallos marked in added red. A distinct corkscrew-like symbol is seen between rays spread across the bottom of the back of the cup--a possible maker’s mark. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 30 May 1995.
94 — Kylix with sphinxes Attributed to the Painter of the Boston Polyphemos Greek, Attic, ca. 550 – 540 B.C. Terracotta H: 13.9 cm (5.5 in)
G1997.15 35428
Greek, Corinthian, ca. 560 B.C. Terracotta H: 30.48 cm (12 in)
This very pretty Corinthian oinochoe was finely modeled in beige chamois clay and showcases a figurative ornamentation using the black-figure technique, with white and red highlights. It could be the celebrated scene pulled from the Trojan War, during the course of which the Greek hero Patroclus is killed by the Trojan Hector. While horses are illustrated in the background, we find an active combat scene at the center of the vase.
G1995.14 35486
The cup on the pedestal foot has a reserved band on each side in a frieze-like composition (one side fragmentary). Two addorsed sphinxes stride toward palmettes on voluted stems springing from the handles, their tails raised and their wings spread. Their large, almond-shaped eyes are marked in added white, as they flank a Greek inscription which reads, Χ Α Ι Ρ Ε Κ Α Ι Π Ι Α Ι Ε Τ Ν Δ Ε: "Rejoice and Drink!" Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 1 June 1995, lot 72. The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 1 June 1995.
95 — Eye cup with Dionysos’ masks
Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 56-57, no. 17; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February - 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
92 — Black-figure oinochoe with a battle scene
93 — Kylix with komast
G1996.1 35403
Attributed to Near the Group of Walter’s 48.42 Greek, Attic, mid 6th century B.C. Terracotta H: 8.8 cm (3.4 in), D: 22.8 cm (8.9 in) The drinking cup features two pairs of large eyes on each outer side in applied white and purple, a design intended to ward away evil. Two masks, prominently placed between the eyes, represent the god of wine, Dionysos, incised with his beard, moustache, and long locks of hair. The rest of the space is filled with the outstretched branches and heavy grape clusters of vine stems; their intricate pattern is perfectly symmetrical, even at the handles. The interior has no decoration inside beyond a few concentric circles. The eyes are rare as being a representation of female eyes. The whole pattern shows a face as one drank from the cup. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 21 January 1996.
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96 — Medaillon with the head of a Maenad
G1996.10 35504
Greek, 350 B.C. Bronze with silver inlays L: 7.9 cm (2.8 in)
G1996.2 35404
Attributed to Skythes Greek, Attic, late 6th – early 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 13 cm (5.1 in) – D: 33 cm (12.9 in)
On this bronze medallion, with silver inlays for the eyes and earrings, is the left profile of a young maenad, identified by her hair crown of vines. Acolytes of the satyrs in the Dionysian procession, the maenads were the devotees of the god of wine and ecstasy, Dionysus, and participated in his orgiastic rites. She is clothed in the Greek female tunic par excellence, the peplos; one may admire the hook affixed to the top of her shoulder. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 21 June 1996.
The decoration of this kylix, a wine drinking cup, is reduced to a tondo representing a single figure of a young dancer. She shakes the cymbals (krotales), rapidly moving to the right as her head turns back towards the raised arm holding the instrument. The liveliness of the action is stressed by her bare leg, uncovered from the folds of the long chiton. Her bracelets and hairband are marked in added purple. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 21 January 1996.
Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 71, no. 26; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
97 — Black-figure kyathos with Dionysos and satyr
99 — Red-figure kylix with a dancer
Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 53, no. 14; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
G1995.9 35396
Attributed to the Group of Vatican G.57 Greek, Attic, ca. 525-500 B.C. Terracotta H: 7.9 cm (3.1 in)
100 — Lekanis
The thinly potted kyathos, a cup-shaped ladle with one long looped handle, is decorated with a figural group of Dionysos and a satyr. The god of wine reclines on a sofa beneath a branched vine which dangles large bunches of grapes. He offers a large-handled drinking cup, a kantharos, to a naked satyr with a long equine tail approaching him in a dancing gesture. Two apotropaic eyes flank the scene, with a panther behind each eye forming a heraldic design at the handle. Aside from the incision lines, additional white and purple were employed by the vase painter to mark the details: grapes, animal fur, the satyr’s tail, himation stripes and patterns, and beards.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1996.
G1996.24 35627
Greek, Laconian, 6th century B.C. Terracotta H: 11.3 cm (4.4 in)
Provenance Ex- Captain E. G. Spencer-Churchill, M. C. (1876 – 1964) collection, Northwick Park, Gloucestershire, England; Christie's London, 22 June 1965, lot 319, pl. 19; Christie's London, 28 April 1993, lot 6; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 31 May 1995. Published BEAZLEY J.D., Attic Black-Figure Vase-Painters, Oxford, 1956, p. 611, no. 14. BEAZLEY J.D., Paralipomena: Additions to "Attic Black-Figure Vase-Painters" and to "Attic Red-Figure VasePainters", Second edition, Oxford, 1971, p. 305.
98 — Pygmy
G1996.19 35507
101 — Red-figure kylix fragments
G1996.22 35508
Attributed to Douris Greek, Attic, ca. 480 B.C. Terracotta L: 15.2 cm (6 in)
Four joints combined with a single kylix fragment, are painted on both sides. Inside, a tondo enclosed by a wide band with Greek key presents two standing figures: a barefoot bearded man dressed in a himation and holding a walking stick meets a young woman dressed in a chiton and himation, wearing soft boots and a sakkos (a woven cap) on her head. The remains of the inscription “kallos” (beautiful), which refers to a man’s name, are seen above their heads. On the exterior there is a procession of several men coming from a banquet (a komos), some carrying wine vessels or playing a lyre. Their long and short mantles are wrapped around the shoulders, leaving the bodies naked. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1996.
Greek, Hellenistic, 3rd – 2nd century B.C. Bronze H: 6.7 cm (2.4 in)
102 — Cup
G1996.11 35787
This charming little bronze depicts a pygmy, clearly identified by the proportioned dwarfism when comparing the size of his head to the rest of the body. Highly detailed in terms of anatomy and musculature, the Negroid figure brandishes the left arm upward in a gesture reminiscent of boxing, an effort underscored by the tensed muscles and tendons at the wrist. As a tribe evoked in Greek mythology, pygmies often appear grotesque in Hellenistic art, underscored in this case by the oversized phallus.
Minoan, Middle Minoan II, ca. 1800-1700 B.C. Terracotta H: 7.3 cm (2.8 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 11 December 1996.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 8 September 1996.
This cup, from Crete, is a an example of Kamares ware.
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103 — Cup with chariot race
G1996.26 35510
Greek, ca. 400- 350 B.C. Bronze H: 8.4 cm (3.3 in)
Chariot racing was an extremely popular spectator event in the ancient world. It consisted of elaborate rules and regulations. For some games, one heat would consist of six teams of two or four horses driving out from the righthand side of the track wall, rushing along it as far as the end-post, then back down the left side to the starting post seven times before hurtling off the course. This repoussé cup depicts one such chariot race in detail. A flat base features concentric circles below the globular body with its narrow shoulder and a high flaring mouth. On the body, modeled in repoussé, two quadrigas led by youths race left to the end-post. Each chariot is decorated with a palmette and double scroll, and the youths wear tunics with long hair flowing in the wind. The image is created by raising the metal by hammering inside. Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 17 December 1996, lot 102. The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1996. Exhibited and Published Games for the Gods: the Greek Athlete, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, July 20, 2004 - November 28, 2004, p. 113, ill. and drawing, p. 181, no. 86.
104 — Mastoid
G1996.29 35512
Attributed to the Haimon Group Greek, Attic, ca. 500 B.C. Terracotta H: 9.2 cm (3.6 in) The mastoid is a drinking cup in the form of a breast, with a slightly concave base and flared rim. Each side of the body is painted with a pair of apotropaic eyes flanking leaves and grapevines, which feature pupils marked in an accent red. These eyes were believed to protect against evil.
106 — Red-figure pyxis with erotic drinking scene Attributed to the Chaire Painter Greek, Attic, ca. 490 – 480 B.C. Terracotta H: 7.45 cm (2.9 in)
The shape, banded decoration, and subject matter of this pyxis is very rare. On the cover, the painting is energetic and spirited, presenting the fully frontal nude female figures in considerable anatomical detail, characteristically awkward in their rendering. Completely naked women are rarely seen in a mixed drinking scene; presumably, these are hetairae participating in the game of kottabos, popular from the early 6th century B.C. onwards. Kottabos consisted of spinning a cup or kylix around the index finger and aiming the wine dregs, or even the cup itself, at a candelabrum or other metal target placed in the center of the floor. The target could also be smaller cups floating in a larger water-filled cup, in what was known as "sinking ships". Games were central to Athenian society, and the element of competition was key: although originally the winner was rewarded with sweetmeats, eggs and cakes, there were sexual overtones to the game; in time, the winners came to be rewarded with sexual favors from youths or hetairae. Provenance Ex- European private collection, Paris, 1950’s; Christie's, London, 5 July 1995, lot 170; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 5 July 1995. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, pp. 79-81, no. 31; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005. BEAZLEY, J.D., Attic Red-Figure Vase-Painters, Second edition, Oxford, 1963, p. 145; Beazley Archive Pottery Database 201287 ; FRONTISI-DUCROIX F., Du Masque au Visage, Paris, 1995, p. 121, fig. 87. Minerva, International Review of Ancient Art and Archaeology, vol. 6, no. 5, September/October 1995, p. 31, fig.24.
107 — Red-figure pyxis with three labors of Heracles
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 17 December 1996, lot 326; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1996.
G1995.16 35397
GXXX.1 35472
Greek, Attic, late 6th – early 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 4.3 cm (1.69 in) - D: 7.5 cm (2.95 in)
Greek, South Italian, 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 12.1 cm (4.7 in)
The body of the vessel is decorated with three scenes, painted in the black-figure technique, taken from a great mythological story recounting the tasks (“Labors”) that Heracles, the most famous Greek hero, had to perform as an atonement for the unintentional killing of the children he had had with Megara, his first wife. Among the twelve canonical Labors of Heracles, the painter chose to represent the hero fighting the Nemean Lion, the Erymanthian Boar and the Cretan Bull.
This head of a young woman was probably an ex-voto. Her slight smile, almond eyes, and prominent chin are framed; her soft wavy hair parted in the center--features characteristic of female representations during the Classical period.
Provenance Ex- Thetis Foundation collection, Geneva, acquired before 1970; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Geneva, 8 May 2016.
105 — Head of a koré
G1996.3 35500
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 March 1996. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 40, no. 4; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
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108 — Red-figure fish plate
G1997.20 35432
Attributed to the Bloomington painter Greek, South Italian, Apulian, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 8.8 cm (3.4 in), D: 21.5 cm (8.4 in)
111 — Enthroned Poseidon
G1997.27 35524
Greek, South Italian, Tarentine, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 10.2 cm (4 in)
Three men row a boat with a pointed prow and an apotropaic eye, while the fourth steers with a flat paddle. White and yellow paint are extensively used for a pictorial effect, as brushstrokes indicate streams of water below the stern to create the effect of a rapidly moving boat. The turned down rim of the round plate is decorated with the wave pattern, while the central depression (used for sauce or oil) includes a variety of aquatic animals, such as fish and cuttlefish. Though these creatures are typically illustrated on this kind of Greek tableware, the boat iconography is unique. There are six other known examples by the Bloomington painter, but none with a boat.
A votive plaque depicts the sea-god Poseidon seated on the throne, beset by two giant coiled serpents. Thought to have once held a trident in his left hand, he raises his right arm with open palms in a gesture of greeting. An ample himation with several undulating folds covers his lower body, exposing the perfectly built musculature of his upper torso. His frame is complemented by a detailed head of thick hair, a beard and mustache. Remains of applied stucco suggest the surface was initially painted. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 29 July 1997.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 23 June 1997. Exhibited Games for the Gods: the Greek Athlete, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 20 July 2004 – 28 November 2004.
112 — Maiden
109 — Idol seated on a throne
A young woman is shown in three-quarter view running to the right, her left leg advancing forward while her head turns back across her shoulder. She wears a girded peplos with a long overfold, pulling her ample mantle towards her head as it billows out behind her. This figure in a vigorous motion could be part of a scene represented on a series of plaques Illustrating a tale from mythology, such as that of Cassandra or Iphigenia. The molded plaque retains traces of applied stucco, a preparation for painting with pigments.
G1996.8 35503
Mycenaean, Late Helladic IIIA – IIIB, 14th – 13th century B.C. Terracotta H: 10.2 cm (4 in) This object features a woman on a three-legged chair, with numerous details painted in red. Only her bust and head are visible, as the rest of the body has been molded into the back of the seat. The woman is rendered quite succinctly: head in the shape of a bird and modeled in the round, her circular body reminiscent of contemporary figurines in phi. While seated Mycenaean figurines are very rare, they are also well known. Their function, rather religious and/or funerary, should not differ from that of statuettes in psi, phi or tau. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 27 May 1996. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 37, no. 2; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
110 — Phi “Idol”
G1997.18 35520
Mycenaean, Late Helladic IIIA – IIIB, 14th – 13th century B.C. Terracotta H: 13.6 cm (5.4 in) The statuette, modeled by hand, represents a woman with abstract forms: the face is obtained by pinching the clay between two fingers and the body is a disc; the legs and arms are invisible, covered by the dress. On her head, the woman wears a triangular headdress (a polos). Mycenaean figurines of this type are classified according to the form of the letter of the Greek alphabet which they reproduce: in tau (T-arm), in psi (raised arms) or in phi (with a circular body). Their signification is certainly related to the religious sphere. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 22 May 1997. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 36, no. 1; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
G1997.29 35526
Greek, South Italian, Tarentine, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 10.2 cm (4 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 29 July 1997. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 67, no. 23; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
113 — Fighting Athena
G1997.28 35525
Greek, South Italian, Tarentine, 4th century B.C. Terracotta L: 10.2 cm (4 in) This plaque depicts a figure of Athena striding left, poised in movement with military prowess. A helmet pushed back surmounts her head, and the folds of her chiton and peplos fold and flow around her as if in rapid motion. She is armed with the spear and shield decorated with a gorgoneion--often seen as a Medusa and known as a protective pendant worn by both Zeus and Athena, intended to ward off evil spirits. An additional snake-like fragment on Athena's left side may indicate the scene as gigantomachia: the fight of the Olympian gods against the giants. Retained traces of applied stucco suggest that the plaque was initially painted. Provenance The Gilbert Collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 27 July 1997. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 60, no. 19; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005. GLUEK, G., From Myth to Life: Images of Woman from the Classical World, The New York Times, August 20, 2004, p. B28
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114 — Lekanis with panthers, a sphinx, and harpies
G1997.31 35527
Greek, Corinthian, ca. 600 – 575 B.C. Terracotta H: 9 cm (3.5 in)
G1998.10 35451
Attributed to the Underworld Painter Greek, South Italian, Apulian, ca. 350 B.C. Terracotta H: 22.2 cm (8.7 in)
The lekanis has twin spurred handles on either side of a shallow footed bowl, decorated by three rows of red pomegranates along the rim and a series of red, black, and clay colored bands below. Narrow concentric red bands continue in the black-glazed interior, and on the outer bands of the lid. The lid features a frieze with a foliate design of palmettes, tendrils, and lotus buds heraldically flanked by two panthers behind a sphinx and two harpies. A star pattern on the concave knob radiates outward from a red medallion, while rosettes and rings of sunburst dots fill the field. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 29 July 1997.
115 — Red-figure calyx krater with Lycurgus
117 — Red-figure askos with Dionysos and Ariadne
G1999.4 35453
Greek, Apulian, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 42.5 cm (16.7 in)
The askos (a flask with a handle over the top) is intricately decorated with various ornamental and figural motifs. Below the spout, the neck is embellished with an ivy garland, ovae, and pearl pattern that extends to the sides with grape-cluster vines. The back of the vessel is entirely covered with a typical design of palmettes, scrolls and tendrils, arranged in an impressively symmetrical order. At the front, white male and female panthers carry the chariot riding up to haven of Dionysos with a thyrsus, and Ariadne, preceded by a water-bird. An ecstatic maenad with a tambourine and a silenos playing the auloi (double-flute) appear beside a thymiaterion (candelabrum-shaped incense-burner). The meander below supports the linings of the ground on which the figures are placed. On the other side, a maenad playing the flutes accompanies a dancing satyr holding a large calyx krater. Red and white for all details add an extraordinarily vibrant quality to the depiction. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 22 April 1998. Exhibited and Published Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1998–2003.
This large calyx crater with a mythological scene was colored according to the red figure technique. The main side presents Lycurgus, the legendary king of the Edonians, from Thrace, at the point of killing his own son Dryas under the eye of his wife imploring him to stop. But after having offended the god Dionysus, Lycurgus was effectively driven mad and committed the irreparable crime. The scene is probably illustrative of a lost play. The secondary scene is more traditional. A young nude woman holds a jewelry box and faces a young man. The presence of sticks with garlands resembling thyrsus (an attribute of Dionysus), could connect this scene to the Dionysian world of maenads and satyrs.
118 — Red-figure mug
G1999.6 35539
Greek, Apulian, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 9.2 cm (3.6 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Geneva, 16 May 1999. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, pp. 100-101, no. 42; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February - 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
116 — Six technique stamnos with two satyrs
From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, pp. 65-66, no. 12; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February - 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
G2000.44 35463
Bands of wave and egg-and-dart patterns surround a scene depicting two adorned figures, divided by a floral bush on the ground. A woman clad in a belted chiton is bedecked in bracelets, a necklace, earrings, and a radiate stephane, as well as a saccos with ribbons on her head. She moves to her left while carrying a large cista. Facing her is Eros, seated on a rock, with a similar hair arrangement and jewelry. He holds floral branches in one hand and a wreath in the other. Below the looped handle, a decorative palmette motif circles the mug. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 25 May 2019.
Greek, Attic, ca. 510 B.C. Terracotta H: 20.8 cm (8.1 in)
119 — Squat lekythos This is a rare example of a stamnos storage jar (sometimes lidded) with no handles. Two ithyphallic satyrs are depicted running in opposite directions. One faces a prancing goat while the other attempts to mount a second goat from behind. A leafless tree is rendered between the goats, and there are three brief nonsense inscriptions in the field. Rather than the red figure technique, it is decorated in what is known as Six’s technique, a polychromy named for Dutch scholar and collector J. P. Six. This method features both red and white details incised into a black glaze. In the case of the current example, color has also been added to a fillet to separate the stamnos’ lower body and foot.
G2001.13 35722
Greek, ca. 350 B.C. – 300 B.C. Bronze H: 10.2 cm (4 in) Provenance Sotheby's, New York, 17 December 1997, lot 132; Christie's, New York, 8 June 2001, lot 165;. The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 2001.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 21 October 2000.
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120 — Strainer
G2000.84 35571
Greek, 5th – 3rd Century B.C. Bronze H: 28 cm (11 in) Strainer with bowl of shallow rounded form and domed strainer finely perforated with a pattern of swirling lines around a rosette, the handle terminating in the head of a duck with concentric circle eyes, and finely engraved on both sides with volute palmettes. Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 8 December 2000, lot 66; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 December 2000.
121 — Aryballos
123 — Red-figure kylix with a hetaira Attributed to the Hermaios Painter Greek, Attic, ca. 510-500 B.C. Terracotta H: 7.6 cm (2.9 in), D: 19.2 cm (7.5 in)
G2000.16 35469
A hetaira, or Greek woman of pleasure, is featured in the tondo of this Kylix. She is nude except for a cap (a sakkos) in her hair and disk-shaped earrings. In her right hand she holds a large olisbos (dildo), secured to her wrist by a strap added in red. With her left hand, she reaches towards its tip. The graceful movements of her body suggest that the young woman may be performing a dance to entertain symposiasts. Provenance Ex- Elie Borowski (1913-2003) collection, Canada, prior to 1984; Christie’s, New York, 13 June 2000, lot 73. The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 13 June 2000.
G1999.14 35540
Greek, Corinthian, ca. 600 - 575 B.C. Terracotta H: 17.1 cm (6.7 in) Many details of this aryballos are marked by fine incision lines and in added red and white pigment. Two painted cocks flank a palmette-lotus complex on a globular body, and a walking goose seen depicted beneath the handle. Ornamental motifs fill the rest of the plane, with rosettes and radiating tongues placed around the orifice, on the shoulder and underneath the base. Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 5 June 1999, lot 137; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 10 June 1999.
122 — Young girl dressed as a bear
Exhibited and Published The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, 18 December 1984 - 30 June 1985. From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 82-83, no. 32; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005. LEIPEN N., et al., Glimpses of Excellence, A Selection of Greek Vases and Bronzes from the Elie Borowski Collection, Toronto, 1984, p. 13, no. 9. KILMER M.F., Greek Erotica on Attic Red-Figure Vases, Duckworth, 1993, pp 99 and 242, no. R180. DIERICHS A., Erotik in der Kunst Griechenlands, Mainz am Rhein, 1983, p. 103, fig. 186.
124 — Odysseus
G1998.23 35535
Greek, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 9.5 cm (3.7 in)
This charming young girl wears a long chiton and mantle, with her head covered by the mask of a bear. Her body dances, mimicking the movements of the animal. This image is probably related to the rites held at the sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron in Attica, created after a bear's wrongful death. There, young girls were initiated as "the little bears of Artemis". Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 17 December 1998, lot 372; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in 17 December 1998. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 47-49, no. 10. ; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida,18 September - 3 December 2005; GLUEK, G., From Myth to Life: Images of Woman from the Classical World, The New York Times, August 20, 2004, p. B28; COSTELLO, K., Feminine mystique: Ancient objects provide look at roles of women throughout time, Herald Tribune, September 16, 2005, p. 27; HENRY, A., Designing Women, The Tampa Tribune, September 18, 2005, p.11-12.
G2000.55 35565
Greek, Hellenistic, 2nd – 1st century B.C. Bronze H: 8 cm (3.1 in) A terrified Odysseus attempting to approach the Cyclops Polyphemus, hoping to get him drunk and escape from the cave where he and his companions are held prisoner. He steps forward in a lively posture, holding a stake now missing from his right hand. A tunic falls from his left shoulder, a wineskin is on his back, and a situla hangs from his left forearm. His expressive face features a long and pointed beard with a full mustache, and wavy hair surmounted by a conical traveler’s hat known as a pilos. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Paris, 22 October 2000. Exhibited and Published ANDREAE B., Odysseus, Mythos und Erinnerung, Munich, 1999, p. 148 no. 61.
125 — Core-formed amphoriskos Greek, Hellenistic, 1st century B.C. Glass H: 16.2 cm (6.3 in)
G2000.41 35467
The tall neck, large body, and vertical handles indicate a small storage amphora. Made in a core-formed technique, the applied threads of red, black, and white glass are arranged in the festoon pattern. Though the combination of translucent and opaque material was an often employed treatment in glass making, the opaque red thread design is very rare. Due to the pointed bottom, a small stand made of glass or gold was required for the vessel to stand. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 October 2000.
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126 — Head of a woman
G1999.15 35461
Greek, Magna Graecia, ca. late 4th century B.C. Marble H: 35 cm (13.8 in) This large and very finely sculpted marble head appears to be a young girl, as one can read from the grace of her delicate characteristics. She tilts her head slightly to the left. Her arched eyebrows are demarcated, with eyes set back, a delicate nose, all as fine as the small lips. Her hairstyle is charming, pulled towards the back in small bands, then tucked into a hairnet known as the saccos. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 October 1999.
127 — Black-glaze mug
G2000.76 35717
Greek, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 6.8 cm (2.7 in)
130 — Plaque with a divine chariot Greek, ca. 560 B.C. Bronze H: 10.3 cm (4 in)
Three mounting holes at the top indicate that this plaque was once attached to a larger object. It depicts a chariot, with two charioteers leading four horses and a man and woman facing one another. As suggested by the presence of sirens placed above the chariot, they could be a divine couple--likely either Zeus and Hera, or Hades and Persephone. The composition is masterfully arranged in symmetrical order, including the positions of the central horseheads, which echoes those of the humans. A very finely repousseed relief distinguishes the wheels, trappings, and anatomical parts, while the treatment of the horses' manes imbues the piece with a decorative artistic quality. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 10 February 2000. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 98, no. 40; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
Provenance Christie's, New York, 7 December 2000, lot 487; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 December 2000.
131 — Pair of bracelets with lion heads 128 — Horse
G2001.16 35580
Greek, Hellenistic, 3rd – 2nd century B.C. Silver L: 5.1 cm (2 in) The spirited horse is superbly modeled, depicted rearing up on its hind legs. The forelegs are bent back, his head is lowered and turns to the right. Open-mouthed, the horse's eyes bulge and nostrils flare expressively, the mane a series of flowing locks. Provenance Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2001, lot The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 2001.
129 — Quatrefoil aryballos
G2000.2 35470
A pair of bracelets features smooth hoops that taper slightly toward plain collars, terminating in finely detailed lion heads. The beasts are open-mouthed, with furrowed brows and ferocious expressions, while their beautiful manes are composed of curling strands. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 19 June 2001.
132 — Amphoriskos
G2000.25 35523
Attributed to the Liebighaus Group Greek, Corinthian, ca. 600 - 575 B.C. Terracotta H: 7.6 cm (3 in)
G2001.34 35588
Greek, 4th century B.C. Silver L: 8.1 cm (3.1 in)
G2001.24 35437
Greek, Hellenistic, ca. 3rd – 2nd century B.C. Rock crystal H: 6.3 cm (2.5 in) This amphoriskos has a slightly convex, cylindrical body, with two flat angular handles emerging from its sides. The body tapers to a pointed base, suggesting the vessel was carried attached to a chain or a thread. The cylindrical neck connects the sloping shoulder to everted rim, where a lid or cork once kept the precious contents of the amphoriskos, likely perfume or ointment, from spoiling.
A small aryballos in a globular shape features a floral quatrefoil design of lotus calyxes with petals and large leaves, completed by a dense cross-hatching pattern. The broad discoid rim is similarly cross-hatched, while the orifice receives the rosette design. Above a star motif on the handle is a female head in profile, likely a goddess.
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 12 June 2001, lot 94; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 17 February 1995.
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 4 June 1998, lot 96; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 15 July 2000. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, pp. 96-97, no. 39; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005. 234
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133 — Squat lekythos with nude woman
G2003.6 35608
Greek, South Italian, Gnathian, ca. 350 B.C. Terracotta H: 20 cm (7.8 in)
A single figure of woman is painted in white features on the front side of the vessel. Added yellow is used for anatomical details and the mass of long wavy hair tightened at the nape. Her face turns up as she focuses on juggling sticks, naked body seen in slight profile, exposing a portion of her back.
the king of Ochalia, Eurytos, had promised his daughter in marriage. It was the Greek hero par excellence, Heracles, who was victorious, but in the end, the king refused to give him his prize. Eurytos then drove the victor from the palace with the aid of his sons. On face A of the vessel, Iole and his father the king are seen on the left. One of the sons stands between them and Heracles, clad in his lion skin, bending his bow after striking the heart or Iole with a love arrow. On the B side, the three sons of Eurystheus prepare to arm their bows with arrows. The marks left by the artist's charcoal underdrawing are faintly visibile, showing that the figures were drawn nude and then clothed in the black glaze. Provenance Ex- private collection, acquired prior to 1973; Munzen und Medaillen, Basel, 1986, lot 208; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Geneva, 10 July 2000.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 2003. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, pp. 41-42, no. 5; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
Exhibited and Published ISLER-KERÉNYI, C., Stamnoi, Corner Bank, Lugano, 1976 - 1977, pp. 36-42; Stamnoi, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 1980, No. 9; From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, pp. 89-91, no. 36; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February - 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
134 — Hound rhyton
BROMMER, F., Vasenlisten der griechischen Heldensage, Marburg, 1973, p. 55, B 5; Kunstwerke der Antike: Munzen und Medaillen, catalog 70, Basel,1986, pp. 45-6, no. 208; Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae, IV, pl. 62, EURYTOS I 7 (side A).
G2001.14 35578
Greek, South Italian, Tarentine, 4th century B.C. Terracotta L: 20.6 cm (8.1 in) The rhyton, a wine drinking vessel, was molded in the form of a Laconian hound’s head, noted for its characteristic long narrow muzzle and wide projecting ears. The sculpture of the animal is separated from the cylindrical bowl by a ridge with an everted mouth, and the bowl of the vessel is supported by a looped handle. The unglazed surface was intended for a polychrome decoration. Provenance Ex- British private collection, 1985; Ex- private collection, New England; Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2001, lot 184; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 2001.
137 — Lidded askos
G2001.41 35590
Greek, 4th century B.C. Marble H: 14 cm (5.5 in) This very rare biconical askos shape was carved entirely in marble and set on a ring base. An elongated lid and upper and lower moldings were added separately, while the handle was set at the shoulder, decorated with ridges in geometric, circular forms. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
135 — Ram rhyton
G2001.15 35579
Greek, South Italian, Tarentine, ca. mid-4th century B.C. Terracotta L: 20.6 cm (8.1 in)
138 — Black-glaze askos
The rhyton was molded in the form of a ram’s head; its curling fleece framing the face with short curving horns between long projecting ears. The sculpted head is separated from the cylindrical bowl by a ridge with an everted mouth, and the vessel is supplied with a loop-like handle.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
Provenance Ex- British private collection, 1985; Ex- private collection, New England; Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2001, lot 184; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 2001.
136 — Stamnos with Heracles and Iole
G2001.40 35727
Greek, ca. 350 B.C. Terracotta H: 8.1 cm (3.19 in)
139 — Lidded Jar
G2000.23 35393
G2007.5 35775
Greek, 3rd - 2nd century B.C. Rock crystal H: 4.32 cm (1.7 in) - D: 4.57 cm (1.8 in)
Attributed to the Eucharides Painter Greek, Attic, ca. 480 B.C. Terracotta H: 37.2 cm (14.6 in)
This skillfully carved vessel in a material as precious as rock crystal was certainly a luxury good and intended for use by a noblewoman in a very wealthy and high ranking household. It was probably used to hold perfumed oil or perhaps kohl or red pigment. The lid is threaded and screws on tight.
A masterpiece in Greek red-figure ceramics, this stamnos was skillfully executed by the Eucharides painter. This container for liquids, features red figures in an episode of Greek mythology. It is the archery contest wherein
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 27 July 2007.
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140 — Necklace
G2001.42 35662
Greek, Hellenistic, 2nd century B.C. Gold, cornelian, jet L: 33.5 cm (13.1 in) The necklace consists of fine loop-in-loop chain set with reel-shaped miniature jet beads; the terminals are decorated with caprid heads in cornelian. Provenance Ex- Daniels private collection; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
141 — Red-figure pyxis with animals and fantastic beasts Greek, Attic, ca. 375-350 B.C. Terracotta H: 10.9 cm (4.3 in) - D: 18.5 cm (7.3 in)
G2002.14 35424
The flask is figured into an actor wearing a comic mask with a wreath, nude except for a chlamys, a short mantle, and sandals. The pug nose, arched brows and megaphone-like mouth of the figure suggest he was a runaway slave, seated on an altar seeking refuge from his persecutors. A cord around the actor's back holds a travel flask shaped as panther’s head that cleverly acts as the tiny spout to pour oil into the lamp, filled at the small inlet above the looped handle. Provenance Ex- van der Elst private collection; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 16 October 2002.
G2001.74 35433
144 — Oinochoe
On the lid of this vessel, five figures intermingle the worlds of animals and mythological beasts: a lion and two panthers join with a sphinx and a griffon. They fit well within the frieze-like composition of decorative palmettescroll motifs, and a wave ornamentation decorates the exterior. Though each raised forepaw and expressive face suggests they may be poised to attack, the action is simply symbolic. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 8 August 2001.
142 — Votive relief dedicated to Persephone
143 — Magenta ware flask of an actor Greek, Hellenistic, 2nd – 1st century B.C. Terracotta, purplish-pink pigment H: 11.5 cm (4.5 in)
G2001.39 35434
Greek, South Italian, Locrian, ca. 470 – 440 B.C. Terracotta, blue and red pigments H: 25.4 cm (10 in)
A female figure is dressed in accordance with Classical period styles, wearing earrings, a peplos and a cap (sakkos) covering her hair. Above the woman, two vessels, a lekythos and kantharos, are suspended from the wall. She leans forward to put away a pile of folded linen in a rectangular wooden chest, the structural elements of which are decorated with finely executed meander and palmettes ornamentation. Underneath are tablets with figural scenes: the left shows Athena attacking a giant falling before her onslaught, and the right shows the embrace of a maenad and satyr. The plaque, modeled in relief, was originally painted, traces of which remain. Many similar reliefs were ex-votos dedicated to the goddess Persephone, protector of fertile marriage, in her famous sanctuary at Locri. Provenance Ex- old private collection, labeled no. 57 on reverse; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, pp. 84-85, no. 33; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005; GLUEK, G., From Myth to Life: Images of Woman from the Classical World, The New York Times, August 20, 2004, p. B28.
G2001.95 35598
Greek, Proto-Corinthian, ca. 710 – 700 B.C. Terracotta H: 22.3 cm (8.7 in) The oinochoe has a low conical bulging body and a flat base. A tall narrow neck terminates with a trefoil lip; a broad ribbon handle is attached to the lip and shoulder. The handle is embellished with a snake-like line flanked by lozenges, painted red and brown. Complex ornamentation continues on the body of the vessel: triangles and thin close-set horizontal lines combine with a broad band of inverted rays at the shoulders. The neck received a similar decoration of five horizontal thin bands, separated by an alternating vertical zig-zag pattern. Provenance Ex- Private collection, UK; Ex- Dr. Jean Lauffenburger collection, Geneva; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 16 October 2001. Published CHAMAY, J. & MAIER, J-L., Ceramiques Corinthiennes, Hellas et Romas III, Geneva, 1984, pp. 16-17; BOARDMAN, J., Early Greek Vase Painting, 11th - 6th century BC, London, 1998, and p. 49, fig. 113
145 — Black-figure olpe with animal frieze
G2000.85 35447
Attributed to the Painter of Vatican 73 Greek, Corinthian, 640 – 625 B.C. Terracotta H: 33 cm (13 in)
Olpe with low splayed foot and triple handle with rotelles at the rim, the body painted in four registers with friezes of confronted seated sphinxes, striding grazing deer and gazelles, striding rams, swans, striding bulls, and lions, dotted rosettes in the field, rays above the foot, concentric circles underneath, the details in added red and white. Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 8 December 2000, lot 72; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 December 2000.
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146 — Skyphos with frieze of animals
G2002.3 35603
Greek, Proto-Corinthian, ca. 670 – 650 B.C. Terracotta H: 10.7 cm (4.2 in)
150 — Mirror cover with Herakles and Princess Auge
G1999.26 35466
Greek, late 4th century B.C. Bronze D: 15.4 cm (6 in)
This very thin-walled skyphos has a flat bottom and two horizontal handles. The lower part of the cup is decorated with radiating rays, the rest is divided by concentric lines into three zones: a band of stars, a frieze of animals, and an upper portion occupied by rows of geometric patterns. The frieze alternates between feline figures (lions or panthers) and bulls. Their elongated silhouettes are painted red, then incised to mark anatomical details.
The circular mirror cover was rendered with applied repoussé relief and three-dimensionally modeling of the figures of Auge, daughter of King Aleus of Tegea, and the hero, Herakles. The perfection of both human forms, as well as the clarity and balance of the figural composition, suggest that the artist may have copied a sculptural group. Herakles reclines on his lion skin in full nudity, revealing his well-trained muscular body, as a quiver and club lay in the foreground.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 21 March 2002.
The complex and masterfully designed composition explains the story: in a drunken state, supporting his heavy body on his left arm, Herakles leans forward, removing Auge's finely detailed chiton, curled at the hem. He is attempting to seduce her in a maneuver which ultimately proves successful: the product of the union between Herakles and Auge is Telephos, the Greek hero who, after being raised by a hind, marries a Trojan princess and becomes King of Mysia.
147 — Almond-shaped amphoriskos
G2007.3 35613
Greek, ca. 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 6 cm (2.4 in) - W: 2.8 cm (1.1 in)
The amphora vase with two handles attached to the neck and shoulder is known as an amphoriskos. The body of the vessel quite faithfully imitates an almond in the shell, with its pointed bottom and rough surface reproduced by making tiny dents in a raw clay before the firing. It was intended to hold perfumed oil. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 31 January 2007.
148 — Lydion
Provenance Ex- Galerie Segredakis, Paris, 1951; Ex- Christos G. Bastis (1904-1999) collection, New York; Sotheby’s New York, 9 December 1999, lot 122; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 9 December 1999. Exhibited and Published Antiquities from the Collection of Christos G Bastis, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1987, pp. 109110, no. 109, cover illus.; From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, pp. 86-87, no. 34; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February - 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
G2001.99 35669
151 — Bell-krater
East Greek, first half of the 6th century B.C. Terracotta H: 12.3 cm (4.8 in) Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 7 December 2001, lot 271; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 December 2001.
149 — Mother goddess
G1997.37 35433
Greek, South Italian, Gnathian, ca. 330 B.C. Terracotta H: 33 cm (12.9 in) This bell-krater with two handles shaped as lion-masks features framing panels decorated with suspended garlands of grapevine and ivy. In the central field is the painted head of a woman: her hair is drawn up into a topknot and bound in a red fillet with a strand of pearls in the hair, a necklace around her neck and pendant earrings to complete her elaborate outfit. Traces of a fish and other marine creatures appear on either side of the vessel, while ornamental bands of meander and egg-and-dot patterns run below the rim. G2002.4 35604
Aegean, 5th – 4th millennium B.C. Marble H: 6.7 cm (2.6 in)
Provenance Sotheby's New York, 17 December 1997, lot 153; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1997.
This figurine depicts a woman standing nude, with her arms crossed over her stomach. This type of sculpture, often referred to as steatopygous (from the Ancient Greek for pronounced buttocks), is characterized by the abstract and exaggerated voluminous forms, as well as by the accentuation of the sexual parts of the female body (breasts, thighs, and pubic triangle). As accounted for in the Anatolian, Greek and Balkan worlds during the entirety of the Neolithic period and the beginning of the Bronze Age, these images are generally placed in relation to the beliefs and rituals of fertility and fecundity.
Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, pp. 69-70, no. 25; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005;Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 16 May 2002.
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152 — Aphrodite hairpin
G2000.49 35458
Greek, Hellenistic, 1st century B.C. Gold H: 14.6 cm (5.7 in) This long and elegant gold hairpin is adorned with a charming figurative scene: positioned at the top of a Corinthian capital featuring an abundance of acanthus leaves, a small Eros offers the necessary support to the goddess Aphrodite who rests above him, her foot balanced over a dolphin. Eros holds a mirror in his hands as the nude goddess appears to adorn herself, adjusting one of her anklets to complement the snake-shaped arm bracelets she already wears. With further fine incisions decorating the entire length of the pin, this luxury object can be clearly linked to its use as a stylish ornamentation.
155 — Pithos
G2000.75 35716
Minoan, 1550 B.C. – 1500 B.C. Steatite H: 6.35 cm (2.5 in) Provenance Christie's, New York, 7 December 2000, lot 398; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 December 2000.
Provenance Christie's Jewelry Auction, New York, 8 December 1999, lot 42; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Geneva, 21 October 2000. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p.44 , no. 7; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005; GLUEK, G., From Myth to Life: Images of Woman from the Classical World, The New York Times, August 20, 2004, p. B28; COSTELLO, K., Feminine mystique: Ancient objects provide look at roles of women throughout time, Herald Tribune, September 16, 2005, p. 25; HENRY, A., Designing Women, The Tampa Tribune, September 18, 2005, p.11-12.
153 — Head of a griffin
Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p.44 , no. 7; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005; GLUEK, G., From Myth to Life: Images of Woman from the Classical World, The New York Times, August 20, 2004, p. B28.
156 — Situla
G2001.23 35723
Greek, 4th century B.C. Silver H: 4.8 cm (1.89 in) Provenance Sotheby's, New York, 12 June 2001, lot 77; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 12 June 2001.
G2001.96 35430
Greek, ca. 7th century B.C. Gold H: 4 cm (1.5 in)
157 — Gorgoneion
Masterfully executed sculptural jewel of monumental quality, representing a griffin, the hybrid mythological animal with the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle. It is the creature which projects strength in its duality. The gold-guarding griffins were associated with gold deposits in the Black Sea region. Indeed, as Pliny the Elder wrote: "griffins were said to lay eggs in burrows on the ground and these nests contained gold nuggets." This miniature masterwork would have been attached to a small gold ceremonial cauldron. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Geneva, 13 November 2001.
G2000.71 35448
Greek, Hellenistic, 3rd century B.C. Gold H: 5.4 cm (2.1 in) This stunning figurine was originally suspended from an earring. It represents Nike, the goddess of victory, shown with her hair tied in an elegant double knot at the top of her head. She wears a diaphanous chiton falling off her right shoulder to expose her breast, moving forward with her right leg protruding through a vertical fold. Her right hand holds the end of her mantle outward, while her left holds a palm branch curving above. Provenance Christie’s, New York, 6 December 2000, lot 63; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 6 December 2000.
Unlike the faces of her three sisters, this rounded appliqué of Gorgon’s face appears more subdued than terrifying. A Gorgon's gaze typically turned mortals into stone, but these facial features are classically regular and finely cast. Sensitive lips are slightly parted; the iris and pupil of the eyes are modeled; the expression is calm. Nevertheless, abundant waves of the snake-like strands of hair radiate from the face, providing a more fearsome contrast. Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 8 December 2000, lot 206; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 December 2000.
Exhibited Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2002 - 2014.
154 — Nike pendant
G2000.86 35572
Greek, 4th century B.C. Bronze H: 6 cm (2.3 in)
Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 61, no. 20; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
158 — Mask of Silenus
G1999.27 35545
Greek, late 4th – 3rd century B.C. Bronze H: 7.4 cm (2.9 in) This mask served as an attachment to a large vessel, such as a lantern or situla used to carry water or wine. The two rings flanked by the volutes accommodated the double swinging handles; a similar attachment would have been placed on the opposite side of the vessel’s rim. The mask of Dionysus’ companion, an old Silenus, displays
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his characteristic features: high arched eyebrows, a snub nose, bald head, and long curling beard and mustache. The details of the wreath (ivy leaves and berry clusters), dotted pupils, and incised irises of the eyes and hair strands were all chiseled after casting. Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 10-11 June 1983, lot 82; Sotheby’s, New York, 9 December 1999, lot 131; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 9 December 1999.
163 — Aryballos Attributed to the Warrior Group Greek, Corinthian, late 7th century B.C. Terracotta H: 6.4 cm (2.5 in)
G1994.1 35476
The spherical aryballos depicts two hoplite figures in combat, flanked on one side by a seated sphinx and a horseman on the other. Rosettes and amorphous shapes decorate the remaining planes, with many details painted in red throughout. Tongues adorn the top of the rim and shoulder, zig-zags band along the handle, and a whirl with recessed center features on the underside.
159 — Chous
G1998.3 35832
Greek, Attic, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 6.2 cm (2.4 in) This miniature Chous, with a child drinking from a small chous in red outline is rather like a Six technique vase. This is part of the celebration of the Anesteria, in Athens: a several day celebration in which each person had his own Chous of wine, so that he could drink without sharing, going back to the myth of Orestes. The miniature Chouses were given to children so that they could join in. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 24 February 1998.
Provenance Ex- Thetis Foundation collection, Geneva, prior to 1987; Sotheby’s, New York, 8 June 1994, lot 72; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 1994. Exhibited and Published ZIMMERMAN J.-L., Collection de la Fondation Thétis : développements de l’art grec de la préhistoire à Rome, catalogue of the exhibition at the Musée d'art et d'histoire, Geneva, 1987, no. 55.
164 — Aryballos
G1997.25 35807
Greek, Proto-Corinthian - Early Corinthian, ca. 650 B.C. Terracotta H: 6.3 cm (2.4 in)
160 — Black ware jar
G2010.1 35682
Cycladic, ca. 2700 – 2200 B.C. Earthenware H: 5.2 cm (2 in)
A small aryballos presents an early form of the quatrefoil design of lotus calyxes with petals and large leaves. A dense cross-hatching pattern is employed to decorate the body, rim and handle. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 12 July 1997.
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 9 December 1999, lot 61; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Zurich, 20 October 2002.
165 — Aryballos
Exhibited Ancient art of the Cyclades, Katonah Museum of Art, New York, 1 October - 31 December, 2006.
161 — Black-glaze mug
G1998.4 35531
Attributed to the Rider Painter Greek, Laconian, ca. 570 – 560 B.C. Terracotta H: 6.3 cm (2.5 in) G1997.16 35632
Greek 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 10.5 cm (4.1 in)
The ample bodied oil flask has a ring foot at the base, and a pronounced rim at the top. The rim's angled profile is divided from the rest by a narrow and short neck, connected to the shoulder by a broad handle. Decorative bands with lines, tongues, and dots frame the main frieze, occupied by a central interlaced lotus-palmette complex and flanked by a heraldic composition of two sphinxes on either side. These standing beasts are large; their long bodies allow the artist to spread their impressive wingspans with distinctly incised feathers, filling the entire height of the flask.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 22 May 1997.
162 — Xenon ware oinochoe with swan Greek, Apulian, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 7.3 cm (2.8 in)
Xenon ware oinochoe with decoration in red paint showing a swan over black glaze.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 24 February 1998. G2000.35 35652
Exhibited and Published The Centaur’s Smile: The Human Animal in Early Greek Art, Princeton University Art Museum, 11 October 2003 – 18 January 2004; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 22 February – 16 May 2004; PADGETT J.M., et al., The Centaur’s Smile: The Human Animal in Early Greek Art, Princeton, 2003, pp. 270-271, no. 66.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 1997. 244
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166 — Aryballos
G1997.24 35522
Greek, Early Corinthian, ca. 625 – 600 B.C. Terracotta H: 10.5 cm (4.1 in)
170 — Hydrolic vase
G2002.21 35674
Greek, Attic or Boetian, ca. 6th – 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 13.7 cm (5.3 in)
A supple figure of a dancer is central to the globular shape of this aryballos vase. Painted in black with purple accents, her moving figure spreads large, body twisted, gesticulating hands spread across both sides as her legs stretch under and around. The rest of the composition is decorated with painted dots and rosettes.
This hydrolic vase was used for spreading water or wine. Holes in the base allow liquids to flow in, and they are held in place by stopping up the hole at the top of the stem with one's finger. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Zurich, 20 October 2002.
Provenance Christie’s, New York, 30 May 1997, lot 124. The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 16 June 1997.
171 — Xenon ware oinochoe 167 — Single-handled cup
G1994.11 35557
Mycenaean, ca. 1375 – 1325 B.C. Terracotta H: 5.4 cm (2.1 in)
G1996.31 35629
Greek, South Italian, Apulian, ca. 375 – 350 B.C. Terracotta H: 13.7 cm (5.4 in)
These cups are wheel turned. The handle is tilted for use in the right hand.
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 17 December 1996, lot 331; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1996.
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 14 December 1994, lot 52; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 14 December 1994.
172 — Xenon ware kylix
G1996.30 35628
Greek, South Italian, Apulian, ca. 375 350 B.C. Terracotta D: 23.8 cm (9.4 in)
168 — Vessel in the form of a spinning top
G2000.57 35656
Greek, Attic, 6th century B.C. Terracotta H: 8.2 cm (3.2 in)
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 17 December 1996, lot 331; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1996.
A very rare votive vessel in the form of a spinning top. The decoration is in black-figure; the upper surface has six jumping dolphins, the concave side has spiral motives and around the sharply pointed base is a zone with pointed rays.
173 — Aryballos
G2001.21 35582
Greek, ca. 550 – 525 B.C. Terracotta H: 11.4 cm (4.4 in)
Provenance Ex- European private collection; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Amsterdam, 27 October 2000.
The aryballos is modeled in the form of a man’s left foot wearing a sandal, knotted below the shin and marked by red color. Toenails are painted white, and a row of black dots is placed along the edge of the sole, while the disk rim is painted with black glaze rays and white dots. A tongue pattern is seen below the neck.
169 — Cotyle
G1997.7 35517
Greek, Proto- Corinthian, ca. 750 B.C. Terracotta H: 11.4 cm (4.3 in)
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 12 June 2001, lot 5; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 12 June 2001.
This cotyle, a small cup for drinking wine, is typical of the ceramic production of the Proto-Corinthian period. It is assumed to have been created using the black figure technique, a figured decoration using diluted clay that should fire to black in a reducing atmosphere and incised details. Decorative elements here are still very linear and geometric, even if we discern a succession of birds with long completely stylized legs (a type of crane) along the lip. Lines executed with great rigor and regularity allow for an elegance of the form and a decorative finesse, which together imbue the small vase with all its charm. It is misfired so that one side has reoxidized to red in the third firing. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 27 February 1997.
174 — Cup
G1999.19 35646
Greek, Laconian, 6th century B.C. Terracotta H: 7.4 cm (2.9 in) Provenance Christie’s, New York, 9 December 1999, lot 282; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 9 December 1999.
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175 — Olpe with panthers and geese
G1995.3 35484
Attributed to the Painter of Christchurch 58/60 Greek, Corinthian, ca. 615 – 605 B.C. Terracotta H: 24.1 cm (9.4 in) The jar on a flanged foot has a handle comprised of two conjoint strips, supported by rotelles joining the lip. A frieze is decorated with panthers resting back on their haunches, facing one another between a goose, while another bird is seen below the handle. Color has been added to the panthers' necks, chests and ribs, and to the plumage and necks of the geese. The field is completed with incised rosettes of varying sizes, a fan palmette, lotus flowers and a zig-zag motif. Just above the foot, an additional area is encircled by rays. On the lower bowl, black is framed by a band of red between narrow bands of white. A distinct corkscrew-like symbol is seen between the triangles above the foot--a possible maker’s mark similar to that of the Corinthian kylix #93 and is also soon on the vase Christchurch 58/60. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 10 January 1995.
176 — Gnathian skythos
180 — Black-glaze mug
G1998.22 35642
Greek, South Italian, Apulian, mid-4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 10.9 cm (4.2 in) Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 17 December 1998, lot 314; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1998.
181 — Black-glaze askos in the form of a knucklebone G1998.21 35641
Attributed to the Rose Painter Greek, South Italian, Apulian, ca. 350 B.C. Terracotta H: 9.2 cm (3.6 cm)
182 — Black-glaze pyxis
G2002.11 35759
G2001.75 35664
Greek, Attic, ca. 500 – 450 B.C. Terracotta H: 9.4 cm (3.7 in) - D: 10.9 cm (4.3 in)
Greek, ca. 250 B.C. Terracotta D: 7.62 (3 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 8 August 2001.
Provenance Ex- Moustaki private collection; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 16 October 2002.
183 — Black-glaze mug
178 — Gnathian skythos
G1998.20 35640
G2001.94 35668
Greek, Attic, 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 6.86 cm (2.7 in) - D: 10.41 cm (4.1 in)
Attributed to the Rose Painter Greek, South Italian, Apulian, ca. 350 B.C. Terracotta H: 9.2 cm (3.6 cm)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 16 October 2001.
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 17 December 1998, lot 309; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1998.
184 — Black-glaze Salt with stamped decoration and ridged edge
179 — Black-glaze aryballos
G2001. 92 35667
Greek, Attic, 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 8.6 cm (3.4 in) - W: 13.7 cm (5.4 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 16 October 2001.
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 17 December 1998, lot 309; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1998.
177 — Pomegranate
Exhibited and Published Games for the Gods: the Greek Athlete and the Olympic Spirit, 20 July 2004 – 28 November 2004, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, pp. 133 and 184, no. 112.
G1996.18 35689
Greek, Attic, 400 B.C. Terracotta L: 4.1 cm (1.61 in) - W: 6.70 cm (2.64 in) G2000.45 35654
Greek, Attic, early 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 11.9 cm (4.6 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 8 September 1996.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 21 October 2000.
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185 — Xenon ware kylix
Greek, South Italian, Apulian, 4th century B.C. Terracotta D: 21.6 cm (8.5 in)
189 — Votive double axe Greek, Laconian, 7th – 6th century B.C. Gold L: 1.8 cm (0.4 in)
This type of Apulian ware, distinguished by added matte red decoration over black glaze, is named after a vessel inscribed with the name XENON. The stemless kylix is covered with black glaze and has a single male figure painted in red placed in the tondo. His short stature, disproportionally thin arms and legs, big belly and pronounced skull suggest he may be a dwarf or African pygmy. He uses a walking stick to move rapidly to the left. Aside from its comically exaggerated proportions, the exotic image was believed to be endowed with the apotropaic powers.
The double miniature ax was a well-known cult object during the Bronze Age. The everyday tool began to appear as a revered motif unto itself. The object here, created in a thin gold leaf, attests to the duration of its interest as a recurring symbol, not least due to the possible preciousness of the material used and its rich ornamentation. The entire surface is occupied on each side by drop and triangle geometrical patterns that fit together. Shapes were created by applying miniscule gold granules side by side--a truly remarkable decorative technique.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 3 December 2002.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 31 November 2002.
G2002.15 35607
186 — Stemless kylix with Arethusa
G1998.11 35533
Greek, South Italian, Sicilian, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 5.6 cm (2.2 in) - D: 17.8 cm (7 in)
G2002.7 35605
190 — Cosmetic spoon
G2004.4 35678
Roman, 2nd – 3rd century A.D. Gold L: 12.4 cm (4.9 in)
The black-glazed kylix is stemless, decorated with series of diagonal notches, stamped palmettes and concentric circles to frame the central tondo, which contains a molded relief. The interior depicts the profile of the water nymph Arethusa: she is adorned with an earring, necklace and a wreath of reeds as four dolphins appear around her head. Her perfectly proportionate and symmetrical features are extremely beautiful--likely reproducing the reverse of a Sicilian coin from the late 5th – early 4th century B.C.
Provenance Gorny & Mosch, Munich, 25 March 2004; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Munich, 25 March 2004.
Provenance Christie’s, New York, 12 June 1998, lot 237; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 12 June 1998.
191 — Aryballos
Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 52, no. 13; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
187 — Coin with head of Athena
G1999.7 35694
Greek, 6th – early 5th century B.C. Silver D: 2.5 cm (1 in)
Image of Athena on obverse and an image of an owl on reverse. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 28 May 1999.
188 — Circular mirror
The aryballos, a small vessel used to contain oil and ointments, is shaped in the form of the head of a warrior wearing an Ionian helmet glazed in black, with a flaring neck guard and two cheek pieces. On one of the two cheek pieces, white dotted decoration remains. The frontlet is incised with a honeysuckle palmette, and his almond-shaped eyes with prominent eyelids appear from the aperture. Provenance Sotheby’s Parke-Bernet, New York, 5-9 June 1979, lot 1011; Ex- Mathias Komor (1909-1984) collection, New York, 1965; Ex- Benjamin Sonnenberg (1901-1978) collection, New York; Sotheby’s, New York, 29 May 1987, lot 68; Sotheby’s, New York, 9 December 1999, lot 81; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 9 December 1999.
192 — Seated dog
G1997.39 35636
Greek, ca 6th – 5th century B.C. Bronze D: 16.6 cm (6.5 in)
G1999.25 35544
Greek, early 6th century B.C. Terracotta H: 6.9 cm (2.7 in)
G2000.62 35711
Mycenaean, ca. 1350 B.C. Terracotta H: 6.9 cm (2.72 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 30 October 2000.
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 17 December 1997, lot 383; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1997. 250
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193 — Mouse shaped vase
G1996.32 35513
Attributed to the Randazzo Group Greek, South Italian, ca. 450-410 B.C. Terracotta H: 4.5 cm (1.7 in) The vase is shaped as a mouse standing on four nub feet. The mouth of the vessel is placed in the center of the back, flanked on both sides by a pair of string holes, each painted with black ivy to appear hanging in suspension. The ears, eyebrows, and neck fringe at the top of the string holes are also painted in black, as is the mouth and tapering spout above the tail. These may have been used as drinking vessels for babies.
G1995.15 35618
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 3 June 1995.
197 — Red-figure pyxis with winged hippocamp
G2015.4 35616
Greek, South Italian, Apulian, ca. 340 – 320 B.C. Terracotta D: 14.5 cm (5.7 in)
Provenance Ex- Lady Margaretta Jamieson estate; Christie’s, New York, 18 December 1996, lot 115; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 18 December 1996. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, pp. 69-70, no. 25; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February - 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005; GLUEK, G., From Myth to Life: Images of Woman from the Classical World, The New York Times, August 20, 2004, p. B28.
194 — Koré
196 — Black-glaze kylix Greek, South Italian, Campanian, Teano, 4th century B.C. Terracotta D: 12 cm (4.7 in)
The lid of this pyxis is ornamented with alternating circles and lines placed at the rim, while the vessel body received a banded key. Waves enclose the tondo depicting a winged hippocamp in its interior, whose sinuous tail is detailed in white and red. Provenance Christie’s, London, 15 April 2015, lot 110; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 April 2015.
G1995.36 35494
198 — Leg of a horse
Greek, Archaic, 6th century B.C. Terracotta H: 8 cm (3.15 in)
G1998.1 35530
Greek, 4th century B.C. Bronze H: 19.5 cm (7.7 in) - W: 8.9 cm (3.5 in)
This protome of a young woman is well known among the archaic Greek statuary under the name of kore. Presented frontally and symmetrically coiffed, the young woman wears a diadem and earrings, on which one can still admire the polychrome today. The archaic smile the young woman proudly displays is characteristic of the period, inviting her spectator to join in the happiness of contemplation..
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 18 January 1998.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 24 November 1995. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, pp. 38-39, no. 3; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
195 — Red-figure pyxis fragment
This lower leg of a horse is hollow cast and was probably part of a statue. It faithfully represents the principal anatomical parts, the hoof and fetlock with extra hair on the back of it. The hair above the hoof was once chased.
G1996.23 35509
Possibly by Skythes, near Euthimides Greek, Attic, ca. 520 – 510 B.C. Terracotta H: 4.5 cm (1.7 in)
199 — Fibula
G2007.1 35679
Greek, 4th – 2nd century B.C. Silver L: 13.4 cm (5.3 in) Provenance Sotheby’s, London, 9 January 2007; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 9 January 2007.
200 — Spoon
G2007.1 35679
The fragment of the top of a pyxis represents two men, one clad in a himation, preparing cocks for a cockfight. The rim of the piece is decorated with the running motif of a cross-wind symbol pattern in the meander separated by boxes with black rectangle centers.
Greek, 4th – 2nd century B.C. Silver L: 16 cm (6.3 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1997.
Provenance Sotheby’s, London, 9 January 2007; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 9 January 2007.
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201 — Herakles
G1995.30 35401
Graeco-Roman, 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D. Silver H: 12.7 cm (5 in)
204 — Splashed glass amphoriskos
G2001.7 35442
Roman, 1st century A.D. Glass H: 12 cm (4.7 in)
The composition of this exquisite statuette presents the apotheosis of Herakles: after his superhuman deeds, the hero was accepted to the eternal feast of the Olympians. He wears a fillet in the hair, a sign of divinization, and he holds a drinking cup in his right hand, as well as his usual attributes in the left, the club and Nemean lion’s skin. Although the expression of weariness appears on his finely modeled face, his trained body is in excellent shape. The exaggerated muscular forms and proportions are those of a professional mature athlete reminding us also of the famous Farnese Herakles statue from the Palazzo Farnese in Rome.
This beautiful miniature amphora from the Roman era is blown glass in a stunning shade of blue. The handles of the vase were fashioned separately prior to being applied onto the body and the neck. Its color composition, blue with some splashes of either opaque or bright white, recalls the composition of other noteworthy splashed glass in the Corning Museum. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Geneva, 7 June 2001.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 22 November 1995.
205 — Amphoriskos 202 — Splashed glass jug
G2000.43 35465
Roman, 1st century A.D. Glass H: 20.3 cm (8 in)
This unusually large jug with a broad strap handle was blown in dark turquoise using an opaque white splash technique. Achieved by applying speckles of different-colored glass to the matrix, then heated again to further widen the vessel, such methodology sought to imitate the delicate effect of mosaic. Combed ridges extend into sharp fins along the handle, adding a pleasing sculptural effect. In ancient Roman times, this specific category of glass was known to be produced in northern Italy.
G2001.17 35438
Roman, 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D. Rock crystal H: 5.4 cm (2.1 in) The amphoriskos seen here is a small container used for perfume oil or ointment. Thin walls are well-hollowed, and a slightly tapered cylindrical body features straight sloping shoulders, a short cylindrical neck and disk-rim on a concave disk base, with two angled handles on concave sides. The vessel was carried attached to a chain or thread, with a lid or a cork to prevent the precious content from spoiling. Provenance Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2001, lot 269; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 2001.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 21 October 2000.
206 — Lamp in the shape of Silenus 203 — Victoriola
G2001.44 - 35591
Roman, 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D. Bronze, silver H: 8.9 cm (3.5 in) The young goddess of Victory is represented flying forward with her right knee extended and her wings spread behind. The three-dimensional figure is artfully composed and finely detailed: individual feathers of her wings are chased, and the recessed eyes retain traces of silver inlays. She is semi-nude except for an ample mantle covering the lower body, folds billowing with her rapid movement. Her long wavy hair is parted in the middle, collected into a bun, and crowned with the diadem according to Classical fashion. A wreath (cast separately) was crafted for her right hand, while she carries a platter with fruit in her left--a reference to her commonly seen attribute, the cornucopia.
G2009.2 35614
Roman, 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D. Terracotta H: 7.8 cm (3.1 in) - W: 13.7 cm (5.4 in) The reclining nude Silenus represented here received a grotesque treatment: drinking from a cup which he holds in both hands, his feet comfortably rest on the sides of his enormous phallus, which was intended to serve an apotropaic function. Cleverly designed for practical use, the aperture on the top of the phallus in the cup constitutes the nozzle to fill the lamp with oil, while another served for the wick. The testicles form the base of the lamp, supplied with a stem-like handle looped at Silenus’ shoulders and head. The finely modeled relief indicates body hair, a beard and moustache; the eyes and nostrils are pierced. Provenance Ex- Meulenberg collection, The Netherlands; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 30 October 2009.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 43, no. 6; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
207 — Young Satyr
G1998.19 35534
Roman, 1st century A.D. Bronze H: 9.8 cm (3.8 in) This expressive young satyr has pointed animal ears and small horns at the forehead, poking through unruly curly locks of hair that spiral from the crown. He turns to the left, his face cast upwards, highlighting finely incised fur is visible on the goat skin tied at his shoulder. The bust's rounded shape indicates the piece was the terminal of a fulcrum, once attached to a sofa.
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211 — Marsyas Roman, 2nd century A.D. Pavonazzetto marble H: 33 cm (12.9 in)
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 17 December 1998, lot 153. The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1998.
208 — Mercury and Mars
G2000.77 35566
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 10.2 cm (4 in)
The janiform herm comprised part of a candelabrum stand that was cast in separate sections. One side depicts the head of bearded Mars with thick locks of hair curling on his forehead under his military helmet. The other side is modeled as the head of Mercury, with his cap surmounted by a pair of wings and short wavy locks beneath. The recessed eyes received silver inlays. Provenance Christie’s, New York, 7 December 2000, lot 586; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 December 2000.
209 — Baby boy
G1999.2 35538
Old Marsyas is shown here hanging from a branched tree. He is being flayed as punishment for when he lost the music competition to Apollo, further indicated by the double flutes hanging alongside him in a case. Marysas' torso has the skin stripped off, dangling over the hips. The sculpture was carved in Pavonazzetto marble, with purple stone from the quarries of Asia Minor, chosen to look like blood in the veins. This shade of purple was often used for columns, sarcophagi, basins, and the plaques in opera sectilia (stone inlays). This particular figure comprised part of the sculptural group called The Punishment of Marsyas, which also included Apollo seated with his kithara and the figure of a Scythian slave sharpening the knife at his feet. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 22 March 1999.
212 — Isis-Fortuna
G1996.13 35506
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 10.8 cm (4.2 in) G2001.3 35574
Roman, 1st – 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 7.6 cm (2.9 in) This baby boy is rendered in a lively pose, characteristic of a charming infant: his left hand plays with his toes while he sucks the fingers of his right. His long hair in braided in the middle of head, known to be a very popular child’s hairstyle during the Late Classical period aimed at keeping hair from falling across the forehead. Originally, the type of such a figurine would be created for an ex-voto, dedicated by parents in the shrine of a protective deity. The hollow bronze of this figure was later filled with lead to be used as a weight. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 June 2001.
Isis was the syncretic Roman-Egyptian goddess of good fate and prosperity. A crown composed of a lunar disc between feathers and horns reminds of the goddess’ Egyptian origin. Yet she is clearly depicted as a Roman matron, dressed in a long tunic and wrapped in an ample mantle that covers her head as a partial veil. Its thick folds create an impressive pattern cascading on the left side. In her left arm, she carries a double cornucopia, a symbol of abundance. In her right, she holds a ship’s rudder: a reference to her rule over human destiny. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 1996. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 46, no. 9; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005..
213 — Pottery fragment with erotic scene
210 — Venus
G1999.29 35546
Roman, 1st century A.D. Terracotta H: 69.8 cm (27.4 in) Venus, the goddess of love, beauty and sexuality, stands with her weight on her left leg. Her elaborate coiffure is parted in the center, bound in a chignon surmounted by a stippled and rayed stephane from behind, as four long corkscrew tresses fall over her shoulders. A diaphanous chiton descends from her right shoulder, leaving her left breast bare. In her right hand, she lifts the hem of her himation as the fabric falls in long folds behind her, flowing around the sides, while in the left hand, she holds a pomegranate. Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 10 December 1999, lot 312; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 10 December 1999.
G2001.18 35429
Roman, late 1st century B.C. Terracotta H: 6.9 cm (2.7 in)
The fragment preserves a lovemaking scene of Hercules with a woman, probably Omphale or a nymph. The woman reclines on a sofa, elegantly resting her left elbow on a folded pillow. She is naked except for a snake bracelet and a diaphanous lion's skin of the hero draped over her left shoulder. Her left knee is raised and her right hand lowered as she assists her lover, pressing his torso forward toward her. Provenance Ex- Prof. Prospero Sarti collection, Rome, 1906; Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2001, lot 292; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 2001. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 88, no. 35; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February - 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005; Galleria Sangiorgi, Catalogo della collezione oggetti di scavo del fu Prof. Prospero Sarti, Rome, 1906, p. 56, no. 308. GLUEK, G., From Myth to Life: Images of Woman from the Classical World, The New York Times, August 20, 2004, p. B28.
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214 — Cuirass relief with Jupiter and Mars
G2000.3 35471
Roman, early 1st century A.D. Bronze H: 24.1 cm (9.4 in) – L: 19.6 cm (7.7 in)
This relief belonged to the left front of a cuirass on a larger than life-size figure, which indicates that the bronze statue could represent a Roman emperor or a deity. Executed in a very high cast, the relief depicts two figures, Jupiter and Mars, placed on a rocky ground line which refers to the Mount Olympus. The supreme god’s majestic figure, half-naked and clad in a broad cloak, with a fillet tied around his hair, is seated on a high throne which side is shaped as a griffin. In his right hand, he is holding out an eagle to Mars, who stands on the left. The god of war is dressed as a Roman general, with a high-crested helmet, short cloak, cuirass, which form repeats a well-shaped muscular torso, and high boots; the hilt of the sword is visible in his left hand. Jupiter has a stern, bearded face while Mars is young and beardless. It has been suggested that Mars may represent the emperor Tiberius, being charged by Zeus with recovering the standards. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 10 February 2000.
217 — Fresco with a gazelle Roman, 1st century A.D. Stucco, pigments H: 21.9 cm (8.6 in)
G2001.90 35665
The decorative wall painting includes a vertical framed border, designed as part of a larger rectangular panel. This grotesque composition is placed against the black background. It is filled with miniature figures, including a gazelle surrounded by birds among the S-curved grapevines (known as acanthus scrolls). Such realistic depictions of plants and animals treated with vivid colors became popular ornamental motifs during the Second Style of the Roman wall painting. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Paris, 16 October 2001.
218 — Perfume flask
G1999.23 35543
Roman, 1st century A.D. Glass H: 23.5 cm (9.2 in)
215 — Candelabrum with Jupiter-Ammun and Bacchus
G2001.25 35583
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 88 cm (34.6 in)
This elegant container for perfumed oil was free blown into a long narrow neck with a globular swelling in the middle. The tapered end was blown into a rounded rim that first turned outward, then folded in. The combination of white opaque bands on the opaque blue matrix composes a mosaic design intended to imitate veined or color-banded stones.
This portable tripod candelabrum comes apart into three sections: the three cast sandaled feet are hinged together as a base, then the rectangular shaft, which terminates with a double herm (one of the herm's ribbed arms loops into an attachment). Finally, two bearded masks are modeled in the Archaistic style. One is JupiterAmmun with his ram’s horns and ears, decorated with the diadem of ivy leaves and clusters of berries. Another head depicts Bacchus with a long mustache and hair arranged in twisted locks at the sides. Bacchus' high coiffure is bound in a fillet, the ends of which fall down his shoulders. The heads support a finial with baluster stem and overhanging rim, decorated with egg-and-dart and beading. Provenance Ex- French private collection; Sotheby’s, New York, 12 June 2001, lot 103; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 12 June 2001.
216 — Fresco panel with an idealized portrait Roman, 1st century A.D. Pigments, gesso H: 20.4 cm (8 in) L: 18.9 cm (7.4 in)
219 — Patera with ram head handle Roman, 1st – 2nd century A.D. Bronze L: 20.32 cm (8 in)
G1995.25 35834
Patera with fluted handle terminating in a ram's head. It is decorated inside and underneath the foot of the bowl with lathe-turned concentric circles in relief. Roman numerals are scratched in the foot that read, “XXXXIV and XXIX". G2000.30 35551
This fresco panel displays the head of a young man with short hair. Only a single large almond-shaped eye remains, but paired with a straight nose and oval face, which suggests idealized features. Provenance Ex- French private collection; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Paris. 23 June 2000.
Provenance Christie’s, New York, 9 December 1995, lot 475; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 9 December 1995.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 7 July 1995.
220 — Skyphos
G2002.2 35602
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Obsidian D: 8.9 cm (3.2 in) The skyphos, an drinking cup, has a fine and elegant shape, with horizontal handles carved in a very stylized and attractive manner. The material itself: obsidian, a vitreous volcanic rock, displays beautiful veins in colors ranging from brown-black to white-beige. Depending on the brightness, the veins can even become translucent. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 28 January 2002.
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221 — Specillum
G2000.46 35563
Roman, 1st – 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 14.9 cm (5.9 in) This tool features a curved rasping plate on the end, with multiple notches to retain the substance on its surface. It is best identified as a specillum (a probe) used to mix and apply medicines, though similar instruments were also used by dyers and painters to mix colors. Along the handle, sections are decorated in club and foliage motifs associated with Hercules. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 21 October 2000.
226 — Marbled dish Roman, mid–1st century B.C. Terracotta D: 11.6 cm (4.5 in)
G1995.44 35620
These marbled objects were made in Gaul during a brief (about 50 year) period at La Graufesenque. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 17 February 1995.
227 — Bust of Serapis
G2001.4 35575
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 11.4 cm (4.4 in)
222 — Ring
G2000.27 35701
Roman 2nd – 3rd century A.D. Porphyry D: 2.54 cm (1 in)
The god of abundancy and resurrection is mounted on a concave base, fixed from behind by a decorative support shaped as conjoining acanthus leaves. His evenly-featured face is framed by a thick, curly beard with a wavy moustache and long hair with thick locks, characteristically arranged in separate strands overshadowing his forehead. The head is then surmounted with the attributes of a kalathos (a woven basket) and a modius (grain measure), decorated with lush plants. Both the incision lines and the details were modeled three-dimensionally to give this bust an imposing look.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Paris, 24 June 2000.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 June 2001.
223 — Plutus holding a money bag
G2000.32 35553
Roman, 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D. Bronze L: 5 cm (1.9 in)
228 — Micro-mosaic emblema with cat and partridge
A chubby, naked boy is seated but lively, his head thrown back and legs lifted as a counterweight. He holds a large tied satchel in both his hands, raised as if in offering to someone. This could be a representation of a baby Plutus, the god of wealth, holding a heavy bag of money. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Paris, 23 June 2000.
224 — Cobalt blue cup
G1999.22 35542
Roman, 2nd – 3rd century A.D. Glass H: 6.7 cm (2.6 in)
This extremely rare and beautiful animalier scene was realized with technical expertise in opus vermicilatum, utilizing very finely sized and vibrantly colored tesserae made of stone and glass paste. The original black marble frame and ancient mortar that is preserved. It is a moment of discovery, in which a magnificent white cat dangerously faces a partridge. The animal rests on a folding stool, and the scene encapsulates the details of daily life, depicting a comb and a falling glass vase. This is an emblema - a mosaic made on a terracotta tile to be inserted into a wall as a pictorial decoration. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Geneva, 4 December 2000.
229 — Hercules This translucent cobalt blue glass cup was blown and wheel-cut. Its wide globular body tapers to a slightly averted rim and a flat base. Provenance Christie’s, New York, 9 December 1999, lot 472; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 9 December 1999.
225 — Ring with capricorn
G2001.81 35805
Roman, late 3rd century A.D. Gold, amethyst D: 2.3 cm (0.9 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 31 August 2001.
G2000.65 35454
Roman, 1st century A.D. Tesserae (stone and glass paste) H: 47 cm (18.5 in) - W: 43 cm (17 in)
G1995.17 35399
Roman, 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D. Bronze, silver H: 13.3 cm (5.2 in) The statuette’s composition presents the apotheosis of Hercules. The hero stands facing right, his head turned against the weight of the body on his right leg and his left knee flexed. His athletic, well-shaped body is nude, save for a lion pelt draped over his bent left arm; his right lowered hand once held a club. This Hercules has a thick, wavy beard and hair tied with a fillet (a sign of his divinization), in which two broad curling ribbons cascade onto his shoulders. The recent silver eye and nipple inlays likely substitute ancient ones. Provenance Ex- Mrs. James W. Johnson collection; Christie's London, 2 December 1970, lot 78; Christie's London, 5 July 1995, lot 190; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 5 July 1995.
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230 — Juglet
G2001.102 35600
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Glass H: 10.9 cm (4.2 in) The spherical juglet was free blown in dark turquoise glass. It has a tall neck, pinched trefoil spout, and a strap handle added to the shoulder. The vibrant color is offset with a clear glass trail applied to the base, then wound spirally around the body up to the rim where the handle connects.
234 — Venus Roman, 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 10 cm (3.9 in)
G2000.87 35573
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 December 2001.
Venus, the goddess of love, stands with her weight on the left leg and head turned right, as her hands indicate an attempt to cover her breast and pubis. The composition belongs to a famous sculptural type of Aphrodite Pudica (Modest Aphrodite) which refers to the original marble statue, the first monumental female nude representation created by Praxiteles for the Knidians in the 4th century B.C. This version was created in bronze, with finely engraved wavy hair parted atop her head and collected into a large bun at the back as two locks descend upon her shoulders.
231 — Amphoriskos
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 8 December 2000, lot 206; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 December 2000.
G1994.7 35481
Roman, 3rd – 5th century A.D. Glass H: 25 cm (9.8 in)
235 — Red-ware jug
The unusually large free-blown vessel is distinctive by its cobalt blue applied handles and collar. Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 8 June 1994, lot 471; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 1994.
232 — Irridescent unguentarium
G1997.17 35579w
Roman, 2nd – 3rd century A.D. Terracotta H: 14.6 cm (5.7 in) The pear-shaped jug with a narrow mouth is very thinly potted and decorated with applied relief. Long feathers and branches with foliage are placed as vertical columns to divide the entire surface into two sections. The first shows a fight scene between a wild panther and a gladiator. The gladiator kneels, using his large rectangular shield as protection, while a triple Janus head mask is placed below. The second section depicts what appears to be a krater above the figure of wild animal running to the right.
G1995.37 35495
Roman, 4th century A.D. Glass H: 10.8 cm (3.9 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 22 May 1997.
This unguentarium with a double-tubular shape, commonly used for scented oils, is rendered in a bluish glass with a sublime rainbow iridescence, caused by its prolonged stay underground and the variations of humidity in contact with the glass surface. This type of small vase, which can also be called a ‘tear glass’, was long considered to be a container for the tears shed by relatives at funerals, as these items were deposited in number in the tombs.
236 — Glazed cup with barbotine animals
G2001.101 35671
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Terracotta H: 8.4 cm (3.3 in) - D: 8.3 cm (3.3 in)
Gently rounded, edged rim and foot. Barbotine animals, deer, bear, bull, and dog are finely modeled with teeth, muscles, and round eyes. Separated by a trial of barbotine dots, the whole cup is covered in a dark brown slip. Probably from Colchester.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 24 November 1995.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 December 2001.
233 — Aubergine jug
G1994.3 35478
Roman, 4th century A.D. Glass H: 14.4 cm (5.6 in)
237 — Diana
This jug, used for cosmetic oils, is a resplendent shade of aubergine. A slender angular handle in pale bluegreen glass was affixed at the top to the body and to the underside of the turned-in rim, providing a beautiful color pairing. The concave base and slender ovoid body are decorated with vertical ribs, as it tapers into a cylindrical neck with a flaring mouth. Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 8 June 1994, lot 225; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 1994.
G1999.1 35537
Roman, 1st century A.D. Bronze H: 7.9 cm (3.1 in) This fulcrum was a decoration mounted at the join between the base and the raised end of a reclining sofa. It shows a bust of Diana, goddess of the hunt: she wears a chiton and mantle, with a quiver on her back for her arrows. Her elaborate hairstyle is arranged with the large knot of hair on the top as she turns her head to the side, her quick glance once fully expressed with inlayed eyes. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 21 February 1999.
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Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 51, no. 12; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
238 — Nemesis
Octaviae in Rome mentioned by Pliny, as well as a work by the Bithynian sculptor Doidalsas commissioned for the King Nikomedes around 250 B.C. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 12 December 1995.
G2000.24 35550
242 — Thetis and baby Achilles riding a Triton Roman, 1st – 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 3.7 cm (1.4 in)
Roman, 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 17 cm (6.6 in) Nemesis, the goddess of contests and justice, is seen mounted on an original spool-shaped base. She is enfolded in a himation which also covers her head as a veil, crowned with the diadem. Her right hand is held towards her mouth, her left holds the attribute of a measuring rod. The back is incised with a deeply cut votive inscription in Greek, recording that the statuette was a gift from Metrodoros to the Philoploi (literally “lovers of arms”, an aristocratic group involved in altruistic activities during the 2nd century A.D.). Metrodoros may have gifted the statuette in gratitude for services rendered by the Philoploi. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 15 July 2000. Exhibited and Published Charles Ede, catalogue 169, no. 11, July 2000. From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 45, no. 9; JONES C.P., A statuette of Nemesis, in Epigraphica Anatolica 33, 2001, pp. 45-47; GLUEK, G., From Myth to Life: Images of Woman from the Classical World, The New York Times, August 20, 2004, p. B28.
239 — Grotesque head pendant
G1996.15 35487
Three figures complete this scene: The baby Achilles, his mother Thetis, and Triton. Thetis, the goddess of the sea is seated on the long curling tail of a Triton, who rides across the invisible waves. He carries her infant son over his shoulder, Achilles, due to become a celebrated Greek hero. Despite its small stature, the sculptural composition is well-structured. One can note the balance of the curvature of Triton’s body and the flows of Thetis’ mantle, as well as the counter-position of the figure of Triton with the baby in relation to Thetis' elevated feminine frame. The spatial arrangements in this statuette were possibly influenced by an elaborate group, such as a fountain sculpture. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 8 September 1996. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 102, no. 43; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
G2002.6 35756
Roman, 1st century A.D. Bronze L: 5.7 cm (2.24 in)
243 — Winged phallus
This bronze head was originally closed with a sliding panel and would have been used to hold spices or drugs. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 26 July 2002.
240 — Penknife
G2004.5 35770
Roman, 2nd century A.D. – 3rd century A.D. Iron and bronze L: 5.59 cm (2.2 in)
G2000.34 35554
Roman, 2nd – 3rd century A.D. Bronze L: 3.6 cm (1.4 in) The amulet is shaped as a phallus with testicles and spread feathered wings. A very popular motif in Roman domestic culture, the phallus was regarded as a sign to protect against evil spirits. It is found on many objects: lamps, drinking cups, terracotta and stone plaques on the walls of the houses, in the pavement, and in the bronze tintinnabula, tinkling bells that hung in doorways. It could swoop down from a suspension hook; otherwise, it stood erect on its own. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 1 December 1998.
A folding iron blade into a bronze handle.
244 — Theater Mask
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Munich, 25 March 2004.
241 — Crouching Venus
G2003.1 35765
Roman, 1st - 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 2.4 cm (0.94 in) - L: 3.10 cm (1.22 in) G1995.47 35621
Roman, 1st – 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 5 cm (2 in) - W: 3.3 cm (1.3 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Munich, 7 February 2003.
Venus, the goddess of love, is represented crouching for her bath, raising her arms to arrange her long, wet hair. The sculptural composition is a variant of one traditionally associated with the famous statue in the Porticus 264
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245 — Heart-shaped strainer
G1999.28 35648
Roman, 2nd – 3rd century A.D. Bronze L: 26.3 cm (10.3 in)
249 — Harpokrates
G2004.3 35611
Roman, 1st – 2nd century A.D. Bronze H: 4.3 cm (1.7 in)
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 9 December 1999, lot 165; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 9 December 1999.
246 — Red-ware head flask
Harpokrates leans on a tree trunk for support, with his left arm posed holding a cornucopia. The Greek god of silence holds his right index to his lips. The crown of Upper and Lower Egypt identifies his royal status. A statuette of this nature would have been placed in a home shrine, a lararium, to bring the household fertility and abundance. Harpokrates’ iconography was borrowed from of Egyptian god Horus, son of Isis and Osiris, where the gesture was had symbolized childhood, similarly applied to a prominent side position. G1995.18 35488
Roman, 300 – 350 A.D. Terracotta H: 21.9 cm (8.6 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Munich, 25 March 2004.
This vase is shaped as a satyr's head, identified by his pointed ears. He looks grotesque, with his wide-open stare, thick eyebrows raised high, and wide grin, which exposes two rows of sharp teeth. Nevertheless, the ornamental detail of the locks of hair, short bifurcated beard, and rosettes along the hairband are in complete symmetry.
250 — Red-figure calyx krater with warriors and griffins Faliscan, ca. 375 B.C. Terracotta H: 45.1 cm (17.6 in)
Provenance Sotheby’s, London, 6 July 1995, lot 45; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 6 July 1995.
This large calyx krater of Faliscan origin is illustrated according to the red-figure technique. A mythological scene often illustrated in antiquity is depicted, evoking a battle between warriors and griffins. The fabulous animal is represented with wings, an eagle’s beak, the ears of a horse and the body of a lion. On side A, one armed warrior, and another soldier on his knees, attempt to mortally wound a menacing griffin. On side B, the following scene shows the two warriors in the nude, carrying the dead griffin with a stake.
247 — Eros hairpin
G1995.31 35490
Roman, 1st – 2nd century A.D. Bone H: 8.3 cm (3.2 in) A winged figure of Eros sits cross-legged on the top of this hairpin. He plays the syrinx (or Pan pipes) from his perch on a small rock. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Basel, 24 November 1995.
248 — Hercules mingens
G2004.1 35609
Roman, 1st century A.D. Bronze H: 6 cm (2.4 in)
The apparently drunken hero sways backwards, legs spread wide, barely balanced by a club on his shoulder. He appears to be urinating in what is known as Hercules Mingens (Hercules peeing), a popular subject matter of Roman bronze and marble figures. Larger sculptures of this type were often used as fountain devices. Hercules’ drunkenness also related him to the world of wine god and nature’s fertility: the image appeared on pendants to the images of drunken satyrs carrying the wineskins full of wine as well, and to Bacchus holding a drinking cup. The statuette retains its original circular base. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Munich, 25 March 2004.
G1998.5 35450
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 April 1998.
251 — Double head flask with Satyr and Maenad Etruscan, 4th century B.C. Terracotta H: 14.6 cm (5.7 in)
G1996.28 35788
Like a double herm in sculpture, this sculpted vase combines two heads set back-to-back in a single shape, made in two separate molds. Following firing, the vase was then painted; traces of white slip and red paint remain partially preserved. One head is a satyr with pointed animal ears and a full beard of snail-shell curls. The satyr wears a laurel wreath with berry clusters above his small horns, with a long fillet looping above the wreath and descending in front of each ear. The other head is a maenad, wearing a diadem adorned with the rosettes. Her center-parted hair is tied in bands, with rows of curls covering her ears on either side of an elaborate headdress. Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 9 December 1999, lot 436; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 9 December 1999. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, pp. 72-73, no. 27. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005; GLUEK, G., From Myth to Life: Images of Woman from the Classical World, The New York Times, August 20, 2004, p. B28.
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252 — Black-figure Pontic kylix
G1995.46 35402
Attributed to the Amphiaros Painter Etruscan, ca. 530 B.C. Terracotta H: 10.1 cm (3.9 in), D: 15.8 cm (6.2 in) The exterior of the drinking cup is decorated with scrolls and palmettes placed on the sides of the handles and below the straight ground line. Inside, the tondo depicts a figural scene of a man and woman riding horses. A woman, colored black, holds the reins in her left hand and a branch in her right, while the man, colored red, reaches his left hand her. They are outlined by concentric lines and tongue ornamentation. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 12 December 1995. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 99, no. 41. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
253 — Dancer
255 — Running figure Etruscan, 5th century B.C. Bronze H: 7 cm (2.7 in)
G2001.9 35576
A rare and exquisitely modeled young woman participates in athletic events. Kneeling, the gestures of the figure suggest she moves rapidly. Her wide-open eyes express the stress of the competition, and cropped hair suggests her young age. Holding up the opposite arm, an attribute may have been held in her right fist. The short tunic she wears is embellished with embroidery in an inverted V pattern along the bottom hem and X’s along the collar. The figure could have been intended a decorative element of a tripod, candelabrum, thymiaterion (incense burner), or a large vessel. Provenance Ex- Donati collection, Lugano, Switzerland, 1984; Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2001, lot 47; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 2001. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 54, no. 15; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
G1996.12 35505
Etruscan, 5th century B.C. Bronze H: 11.7 cm (4.6 in)
256 — Fire rake
A young, barefoot dancer stands slightly pigeon-toed, accompanying her dance with the cymbals (castanets) she holds in both of her outstretched hands. She wears a short tunic over a skirt secured by a belt and crossstraps in the bandolier fashion, with hair bound in a broad chignon at the back and held with a fillet. The swirling movement of the skirt is masterfully reproduced to correspond to the evocative rhythmic swing of the dance, a stark contrast to the frontal position of the upper body. The overall effect is one of great precision.
G2001.100 35670
Etruscan, 7th – 6th century B.C. Silver L: 23.6 cm (9.2 in) The deep fluted handle of the fire rake terminates in a stylized human hand which bends acutely at the knuckles, emphasizing the incised nails on elongated fingers. Provenance Christie’s, New York, 5 December 2001, lot 530; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 6 December 2001.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 8 September 1996. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 55, no. 16. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
257 — Oinochoe
G1996.25 35421
Etruscan, 5th century B.C. Bronze H: 30.4 cm (11.9 in)
254 — Lion
G2001. 10 35577
Etruscan, 6th century B.C. Bronze L: 5.4 cm (2.1 in)
This tall, single-handled jug has a pyriform body and long-beaked spout with an everted rim. The high-fluted, beaded handle terminates in two conical buds at the rim and in an inverted palmette surmounted by a volute foliate motif at the base.
The figurine of a recumbent lion was probably an appliqué attached to a tripod, candelabrum, or vessel. The anatomical parts are rendered both sculpturally and linearly: the face is incised with stippled details, and the mane with an incised flame pattern. There is a lifelike characterization to the animal. The lion's head turns left, the ears are pointed and folded back, and the tail curls between the left leg and up over the flank.
Provenance Sotheby's New York, 17 December 1996, lot 73; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 December 1996.
Provenance Ex- Donati collection, Lugano, Switzerland, 1984; Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2001, lot 60. The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 2001.
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258 — Discobolus
G2000.11 35548
Etruscan, late 6th century B.C. Bronze H: 9.7 cm (3.8 in) The athletic youth advances, preparing to throw the discus he holds in his right hand as supported by the left. His well-developed musculature expresses the tension of the action. His face has a prominent chin and large, wide-set almond-shaped eyes. Long hair is bound in a fillet and falls in a broad flaring plait over his shoulders in the back. Mounted on a circular base, this statuette was probably the finial of a candelabrum or the lid of a cauldron. It is solid cast and superbly cold-worked. Provenance Ex- Nicolas Koutoulakis collection; Ex- Christos G. Bastis (1904-1999) collection, New York, acquired prior to 1987; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 29 May 2000. Exhibited and Published Antiquities from the Collection of Christos G.Bastis, catalogue of the exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1987, p. 212, no. 120. Games for the Gods: the Greek Athlete, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, July 20, 2004 - November 28, 2004, p. 87 and 176, no. 48.
259 — Antefix representing a dancer
Dioscuri. Known in the Etruscan culture under the names of Castur and Pultuce. They were associated with horsemanship, worshipped as patrons of travelers and sailors, and considered great benefactors. The statuette may have been an ex-voto in their shrine. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 December 1995.
262 — Head of a youth Etruscan, 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 26.9 cm (10.5 in)
G1994.2 35477
The expression seen here is solemn, with full bow-shaped lips below prominently lidded almond-shaped eyes and pigmented black pupils. While the clay was still raw, strands of hair were deeply incised along the front and sides, and a rolled fillet subsequently styled to bind around the head. Other pigments may have colored the rest of the face (given the remaining coloration of the pupils). Despite his straight nose, the slight overall asymmetry of the features suggests the head was portrayed from life. It may have been part of a statue or votive offering to the gods, thus placed in the respective sanctuary or temple. Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 8 June 1994, lot 179; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 1994.
G1997.22 35440
Etruscan, ca. 500 B. C. Terracotta H: 50.3 cm (19.8 in) - W: 26.6 cm (10.5 in)
263 — Standing man
This antefix of Etruscan origin features a rich pigmentation, which granted the piece an element of grace. The form takes the shape of a young woman who appears to dance: diadem and rich clothes compose her outfit (a coat just behind her head, a shawl with multiple zigzags and long chiton). Her gesture indeed suggests movement, since she raises the sides of her garment with her left hand, while one can assume that her right hand, now lost, would have been straightened upwards. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 3 July 1997.
G2003.2 35676
Italic, Umbro-Picenean, 5th century B.C. Bronze H: 7 cm (2.7 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Cologne, 7 February 2003.
264 — Worshipper
G2001.37 35589
Etruscan, early 5th century B.C. Bronze H: 11.9 cm (4.7 in)
260 — Head of a bull
G1996.6 35623
Villanovan, 10th century B.C. Bronze H: 6.7 cm (2.6 in)
The slim nude figure of a youth has elongated proportions, standing with one leg advanced. He represents a worshipper, as his arms are placed as if making an offer (probably once holding a gift in his right hand). The modeling is fluid while the hair and the hairband are incised. Long tenons beneath his soles correspond to the casting channels, indicating the attachment to the original base was made separately.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Zurich, 16 May 1996.
261 — Horse tamer
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 25 June 2001.
G1995.48 35499
265 — Oinochoe
Etruscan, 6th century B.C. Bronze H: 5.6 cm (2.2 in)
G1995.19 35782
Italic, Villanovan, 7th century B.C. Terracotta H: 26.7 cm (10.9 in)
A rearing horse and his young tamer make for an imposing statuette. The youth is clad in a short tunic while he holds the bridles. His rigid posture provides a strong contrast to the opposing movements, balancing the composition against the joint of the long tail and hind legs of the horse on one side. This duality ensures the equilibrium of the statuette. The tamer can be identified as one of the twin brothers, sons of Zeus (Tinia), called
Provenance Sotheby’s, London, 6 July 1995, lot 49; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 6 July 1995.
270
271
P. 270
P. 271
266 — Worshipper Italic, ca. 700 B.C. Bronze H: 10.8 cm (4.2 in)
G2001.87 35595
the plumage and gives the vase all its volume to illustrate the globular body of this aquatic bird, accustomed to being left to float on the water. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 24 November 1995.
The male figure stands with his head turned upward and his hands projected in the gesture of worship. The shapes are schematically reproduced featuring the elongated torso and disproportional neck. At the top of his head is a polos, headgear shaped as a cylinder, ringed at the summit, with his long hair collected in a tress at the neck. The modeling emphasizes the facial features, with the prominent chin suggesting traces of a lost beard. Exquisite detail continues with the genitalia and nipples; the fingers and toes are also articulated. Two grooves form a cross on the back, while a vertical one follows the spine to very prominently divided buttocks. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 19 October 2001.
267 — Amphora
271 — Polychrome-painted kyathos Italic, Daunian, ca. 525 – 475 B.C. Terracotta H: 14.7 cm (5.79 in)
G2002.12 35606
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 16 October 2002.
G1995.12 35780
272 — Amulet
Italic, 7th century B.C. Terracotta H: 11.43 cm (4.5 in)
G2001.57 35737
Mesopotamian, ca. 3500 B.C. – 3000 B.C. Alabaster L: 3.1 cm (1.22 cm) - H: 3.1 cm (1.22 cm)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 31 may 1995.
268 — Bucchero olpe
This amulet is made of flat, heart shaped alabaster and pierced vertically. There are two indentations, possibly representing eyes on an abstract animal’s face.
G1995.39 35784
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
Etruscan, 7th century B.C. Terracotta H: 24 cm (9.4 in)
273 — Cuneiform tablet
269 — Bucchero oinochoe
G1994.10 35778
Near Eastern, ca. 1865 – 1804 B.C. Clay L: 6.3 cm (2.4 in) – W: 5.1 cm (2 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 24 November 1995.
G1995.13 35781
Etruscan, 7th century B.C. Terracotta H: 17 cm (6.7 in) - W: 13.2 cm (5.2 in)
With 7 lines of Sumerian, which can be translated: "Sin-kashid, Mighty Man, King of Uruk, King of the Amnanum, built his royal palace. A typical propaganda document, issued during the struggle between the city states in the period which followed the fragmentation of the Sumerian empire. Sin-kashid was of Ammorite descent and the Amnanum an Amorite tribe of bedouin. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 8 September 1994.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 31 May 1995.
274 — Jug
270 — Askos with a duck’s head
G1995.38 35496
Daunian, ca. 550-400 B.C. Terracotta H: 11.5 cm (4.3 in)
The Iapyges, a population which occupied the Apulian part of southern Italy before the arrival of the first Greek settlers, gave us a most interesting ceramic production. Proof is this askos, a vase intended to serve liquids, with a mouth on the top and a large spout with a filter on the side. It features a duck's head, as seen by the shape of the beak, extending to show the tail of the animal along the spout. The rich polychrome still emphasizes
G1995.5 35779
Cypriot, ca. 1800 – 1650 Terracotta H: 14.6 cm (5.7 in) Juglet with spherical body decorated in black, mottled to tan, in Pendent Line Style. The body has groups of four verticals divided by a single wavy line: wide horizontals at shoulder and round neck and a band of zig-zag on the handle. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 16 May 1995.
272
273
P. 272
P. 273
275 — Flask with cut-away spout
G1995.6 35558
Cypriot, ca. 1050 – 950 B.C. Terracotta H: 12 cm (4.7 in)
280 — Torso of a bearded Man
G1995.35 35688
Near Eastern, 2nd millennium B.C. Terracotta H: 7 cm (2.76 in)
Provenance Ex- Ascher collection; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 16 May 1995.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 24 November 1995.
281 — Amulet
276 — Jar
G1995.43 35786
Sumerian, ca. 3000 – 2500 Terracotta H: 9.1 cm (3.6 in)
G2000.61 35710
Sumerian, ca. 3200 B.C. – 3000 B.C. Stone L: 3.8 cm (1.5 in) The base is carved with an image of an Ibis.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 19 December 1995.
277 — Beaker
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 21 October 2000.
G1995.42 35785
282 — Red-polished bowl
Anatolian, ca. 3000 B.C. Terracotta H: 7.3 cm (2.9 in)
G2000.14 35650
Cypriot, ca. 2000 – 1725 Terracotta D: 14 cm (5.5 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 19 December 1995.
278 — Seated lion
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 29 May 2000.
G2000.66 35449
283 — Vessel
Late Uruk, 3300 – 3200 B.C. Pink limestone H: 14 cm (5.5 in)
G1998.6 35793
Sumerian, ca. 3000 B.C. Terracotta H: 6.3 cm (2.5 in) - D: 11.9 cm (4.7 in)
A majestic, powerful statuette of a lion sits with its front legs straightened, appearing stately and impressive despite its small size. The thick mane, whose details were probably painted, surrounds the neck and shoulders. The forehead, beard and eyes retain black pigment, with some traces of red pigment still around on the mouth. The precision and realism of the statuette were aided by the fact that lions still populated the near eastern region at that time, and that the artists thus likely had a living example. Parallels include minor Late Uruk pendants and the famous Gebel el Arak knife at the Louvre.
G1999.10 35794
Sumerian, ca. 3100 – 2890 B.C. Marble H: 3.1 cm (1.2 in) Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 10 June 1999; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 10 June 1999.
284 — Fertility deity
G1994.8 35482
Near Eastern, ca. 2000 – 1800 BC Terracotta H: 13.6 cm (5.4 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 4 December 2000.
279 — Cylinder seal
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 16 August 1998.
Modeled by hand, the eyes, breast and frontal diadem of a woman were rendered by pierced clay pellets. She wears a thick collar and a belt tied on the pubis, standing on tiptoes. This statuette was designed to be placed horizontally or inserted into a support. Many variants of similar votive statuettes included figured deities; others would have been women dedicating their own likeness. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 1994.
274
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P. 274
P. 275
285 — Round seal
G1995.41 35619
Bactrian, 3rd – 2nd millennium B.C. Bronze D: 6.7 cm (2.6 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 24 January 1995.
286 — Cuneiform tablet
290 — Kneeling worshipper Late Uruk, ca. 3200 – 2900 B.C. Limestone H: 12 cm (4.72 in)
G2000.47 35462
This rare statuette is a magnificent testimony to the devotion of a woman who lived five thousand years ago. She holds a flat object in front of her chest as she kneels, wrapped in a long tunic, though the lower part of her legs and her little feet are carved in detail under the body. This worshipper is among the earliest pieces of evidence of a typical Near Eastern cultural tradition to offer one's own image in a sanctuary to perpetually honor a particular deity. G1994.9 35777
Near Eastern, ca. 1910 – 1840 B.C. Clay L: 3.5 cm (1.3 in) – W: 4.1 cm (1.6 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 22 October 2000.
A legal document of 18 lines, recording that Kishrum-nala owes to Enisharu 15 shekels of silver, 2 sacks of barley and 1 sack of wheat. The debt has to be repaid at the next harvest and the grain must be handed over at "'the meadows of Kunu-il". The shekel was the equivalent of just over 8 grams. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 8 September 1994.
291 — Cylinder seal with a standing man
G1997.14 35792
Akkadian, ca. 1400 – 1100 B.C. Stone H: 2.9 cm (1.1 in)
A standing male figure wearing a long fringed robe and five lines of inscription.
287 — Cylinder seal with a banquet scene
G1997.10 35692
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 29 March 1997.
Sumerian, ca. 2600 B.C. – 2334 B.C. Lapis lazuli H: 2.9 cm (1.14 in) - D: 1 cm (0.39 in)
292 — White slip bowl
G1996.16 35626
Cypriot, ca. 1550 – 1415 B.C. Terracotta H: 10.1 cm (3.9 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 29 March 1997.
'Milk bowl' in White Slip 1 ware with wish-bone handle and palm trees.
288 — Rattle
G2000.79 35718
Hacilar, 6th millennium B.C. Terracotta H: 11.1 cm (4.37 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 8 September 1996.
The hollow rattle is lentoid in form, with a single ring handle along one edge, a small round perforation below the handle, and burnished red and cream-colored decoration of chevrons arranged in a cruciform pattern, with small pebbles on the interior to function as a rattle. Provenance Ex- Crescent Gallery, Tokyo; Christie's, New York, 7 December 2000, lot 662; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 December 2000.
289 — Red-polished ware bowl with a spout
Cypriot, ca. 2000 B.C. Terracotta D: 19 cm (7.4 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 29 May 2000.
293 — Cup
G1998.7 35637
Sumerian, ca. 3000 B.C. Copper H: 8.1 cm (3.2 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 16 April.
G2000.13 35649
294 — Amulet of recumbent bull
G2002.20 35764
Sumerian, ca. 3000 B.C. – 2800 B.C. Marble L: 3.81 cm (1.5 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Munich, 23 October 2002.
276
277
P. 276
P. 277
295 — Seated baboon
G2003.3 35766
Sumerian, 4th – 3rd millennium B.C. Bronze L: 2.54 cm (1 in) - H: 2.3 cm (0.91 in)
Central Anatolia. Before being deposited in the tomb, these precious vessels were used in daily life as drinking vessels or, during certain rites, as cult objects. The vessel is shaped to be held in one hand from the back to pour out liquid. Provenance Sotheby's, London, 6 July 1995, lot 248; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 6 July 1995.
Weight in the form of a baboon with lead filling. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Munich, 7 February 2003.
296 — Cylinder seal with two seated Gods
300 — Bowl with a spout G1997.12 35790
Akkadian, ca. 2279 – 2255 B.C. Green serpentine H: 3.2 cm (1.2 cm)
Sumerian, ca. 3200 B.C. Marble D: 13.9 cm (5.4 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Paris, 16 October 2001.
Two seated gods and a table with two vessels in between. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 29 March 1997.
297 — Deity or priestess
G2001.91 35666
301 — Macehead G1994.5 35480
Near Eastern, ca. 2000 – 1800 B.C. Terracotta H: 22 cm (8.7 in)
G2000.4 35798
Old Babylonian, 2nd millennium B.C. Haematite H: 4.4 cm (1.7 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 May 2000.
This statuette likely represents a woman: larger than average, the head is pointed like a bird’s, the bust is flat, and a tubular body is modeled without demarcations for her legs. A tiara, earrings and the opulent necklace indicate that she was an important female figure—perhaps a deity or a priestess. Mesopotamian votive figurines were characterized by this formal simplicity. As with all objects from this category, it is believed to provide an important account of the Mesopotamian popular devotion of the era. Provenance Sotheby's, New York, 8 June, 1994 lot 276; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 1994.
298 — Bowl
302 — Red ware kylix
G2001.12 35659
Cypriot, ca. 750 – 650 B.C. Terracotta D: 30.1 cm (11.8 in) Provenance Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2001, lot 126; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 2001.
G1995.26 35833
Hacilar, 5th Millennium B.C. Terracotta H: 7.6 cm (2.99 in) - D: 20.9 cm (8.23 in)
303 — Cylinder seal with a contest scene
G1997.13 35791
Akkadian, ca. 2234 – 2154 B.C. Green serpentine H: 3 cm (1.2 in)
Provenance Ex- Sloane private collection; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 7 July 1995.
A contest scene and a rare representation of a hero (hunter) with a bow aiming at a Gazelle in a field. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 29 March 1997.
299 — Phiale with omphalos
G1995.23 35489
Anatolian, Phrygian, 8th century B.C. Bronze H: 15.6 cm (6.1 in)
304 — Amulet of a pregnant woman
This phiale, characterized by hemispheric cuts, and generally without handles, was probably molded and then worked by hammering. Beyond the rounded body, a large omphalos, a highly significant mound, adorns its center. The decoration is simple but very aesthetic, limited to eight thick concentric nets that punctuate the interior of the container. It is a rare type of cut, of which the best parallels come from the Phrygian tumuli of
G2002.19 35763
Sumerian, ca. 3000 B.C. Marble H: 2.54 cm (1 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Munich, 23 December 2002.
278
279
P. 278
P. 279
305 — Cylinder seal
G2000.10 35699
Cypriot, 16th – 14th century B.C. Haematite H: 2.6 cm (1 in)
309 — Frustoconical cup
G2001.104 35601
Bactrian, ca. 2000 B.C. Veined alabaster H: 9 cm (3.5 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 29 May 2000.
306 — Engraved shell with the head of horus
G2000.48 35459
Phoenician, ca. 7th century B.C. Tridacna Shell, garnet and gold inlaid eyes H: 10.2 cm (4 in) - W: 18.1 cm (7.1 in)
The form of the container of this frustoconical cup is supported by a small circular base. Its impressive, perfected shape is due to the very thin walls and vivid decoration, the latter of which is derived primarily from the natural polychrome of the stone. The exterior stonecutting was chosen from a larger alabaster, before digging and scrubbing to arrive at obtaining a magnificent, one-of-a-kind result, impossible to duplicate. As early as the Neolithic Period, stone vessels occupied a very important economic place in preservation, rituals, and gift exchanges in the Near East and Egypt. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 1 December 2001.
The sensitivity of this engraved shell, most likely used as a luxurious cosmetic palette, is the work of a true master. Maintaining the natural semi-circular shape of the shell, the sculptor gracefully incised the body of the falcon (representing the Egyptian god Horus) concluding with the raptor’s head carved on the umbo, the garnet eyes in gold rims are eyes impressively intact. An exceptional figural scene fills the inner face of the shell, depicting a herd with four rams moving in a Nilotic landscape. This scene is especially spectacular, not least because this portion was almost always treated with exclusively geometric designs. This object is incredibly rare; only a few examples survive, and almost none in this condition.
310 — Cylinder seal with a bird-man
G1997.11 35789
Akkadian, ca. 2279 B.C. – 2255 B.C. Black stone H: 3.4 cm (1.34 in) - D: 2.2 cm (0.87 in)
Carved in monumental style with a bird-man brought before the water god Ea. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 22 October 2000.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 29 March 1997.
Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, pp. 93-95, no. 38. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February - 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005; GLUEK, G., From Myth to Life: Images of Woman from the Classical World, The New York Times, August 20, 2004, p. B28; COSTELLO, K., Feminine mystique: Ancient objects provide look at roles of women throughout time, Herald Tribune, September 16, 2005, p. 27; HENRY, A., Designing Women, The Tampa Tribune, September 18, 2005, p.11-12; Classic Beauties, Tampa Weekly Planet, September 18, 2015, p.6.
307 — Necklace
311 — Lion seal
G1998.14 35638
Bactrian, ca. 2000 B.C. Bronze L: 6.6 cm (2.5 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 18 July 1998.
G2000.70 35658
Bactrian, ca. 2200 B.C. – 1900 B.C. Gold and Turquoise L: 43.8 cm (17.24 in)
312 — Spherical jug
Strung as a necklace composed of small ringlets of gold interspersed with turquoise beads, with two small diskshaped pendants and a drop-shaped pendant.
The jug has a spherical body set on a ring base with a double-reeded handle. Its slender neck tapers slightly to the trefoil lip, encircled with bands. Decoration continues with a complex grouping of concentric circles, the largest intersecting each other and forming panels at the front and sides of the body. At the center of each circle is a group of wider bands supported by miniature versions of the same motif. The frontal panel on the shoulder also contains a fish.
Provenance Christie's, New York, 6 December 2000, lot 20; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 6 December 2000.
308 — Cylinder seal with seated women and eye idols Sumerian, 3200 B.C. – 3000 B.C. Yellow stone H: 3.5 cm (1.38 in) - D: 2cm (0.79 in)
G2000.12 35549
Cypriot, ca. 750 – 600 B.C. Terracotta H: 21.6 cm (8.5 in)
G1997.9 35691
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 29 May 2000.
Bow drilled with two seated women above mats, worshipping eye-idols in a field. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 29 March 1997. 280
281
P. 280
P. 281
313 — Abstract couple
Canaanite, 2nd millennium B.C. Bronze H: 13.3 cm (5.2 in)
318 — Head of a bull Near Eastern, ca. 3000 B.C. Bronze H: 4.3 cm (1.7 in)
The man and woman are characterized by abstract and simple forms without any volume. Despite this stylization and the absence of relief, these few details suffice for the sculptor to accentuate the sexual connotation of the group. The figures stand adjoined at the base: the man passes his left arm behind the neck of his companion, as the woman places her hand on her own chest. Archaeologically speaking, this ensemble is one the rarest examples of groups of two or more people in Levantine bronze figure production from the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age.
The small head, cast in bronze on a core using the lost wax technique, belonged to a larger bull statue that may have been composite. Despite its current state, one can still appreciate the remarkable artistic quality of its many sculptural nuances and finely incised elements. Several Near Eastern sanctuaries would have offered animal figurines, which the faithful dedicated to the different deities as "substitutes" for the animals of sacrifice. Their presence was considered as a symbolic, perpetual offering to the deity. Some cuneiform lettering is seen on the right shoulder.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 24 November 1995.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 24 November 1995.
G1995.32 35491
314 — Mask of Humbaba the Terrible
G1999.24 35647
Old Babylonian, ca. 1900 – 1750 B.C. Terracotta L: 11.4 cm (4.4 in)
G1997.5 35516
The decoration is unusually complex and covers almost the whole surface. Each side has, at its center, a large rosette, which is surrounded by two bands of elaborate ornament, separated by a circle of guilloche. Under the handle, which is in solid black, is what appears to be yet another, if more stylized, variation of the lotus theme, with a column of three linked flowers, the center of each crosshatched, and the whole pointing downwards. An unusual feature is that the neck is also crosshatched. G1996.7 35624
Anatolian, ca. 19th – 17th century B.C. Terracotta L: 12.7 cm (5 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 23 February 1997.
320 — Amulet
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 16 May 1996.
316 — Necklace
319 — Flagon
Cypriot, ca. 750 B.C. – 650 B.C. Terracotta H: 34.1 cm (13.43 in)
Provenance Christie’s, New York, 9 December 1999, lot 505, The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 9 December 1999.
315 — Bull head rhyton
G1995.33 35492
G2005.1 35771
Sumerian, ca. 3200 B.C. – 2900 B.C. Aragonite H: 2.54 cm (1 in) G2001.80 35804
Sumerian, ca. 2600 – 2400 B.C. Gold, carnelian L: 38.1 cm (15 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 31 August 2001.
Provenance Christie's, New York, 20 December 2005; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 20 December 2005.
321 — Pazuzu pendant
G2000.74 35715
Neo-Assyrian, 8th – 7th century B.C. Jasper H: 5.1 cm (2.01 in)
317 — Earrings
G2000.68 35713
Near Eastern, 3rd Millennium B.C. Gold L: 4.4 cm (1.73 in)
Provenance Christie's, New York, 6 December 2000, lot 197; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 6 December 2000.
Each made from a tapering wire formed into a loop, one end hammered into a funnel, the other end with a small hook which passes through a perforation at the rim of the funnel. Provenance Ex- Crescent Gallery, Tokyo; Christie's, New York, 6 December 2000, lot 4; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 6 December 2000. 282
283
P. 282
P. 283
322 — Piglet amulet
G2002.10 35758
Proto-Sumerian, 4th millennium B.C. Limestone L: 5.25 cm (2.07 in) The underside has a representation of two animals.
G2002.8 35757
Phoenician, 6th century B.C. Alabaster L: 5.8 cm (2.28 in) - H: 4.1 cm (1.61 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Geneva, 4 December 2000.
328 — Phiale with incised detailing
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 31 October 2002. Exhibited and Published From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, 12 March – 10 October 2004, p. 92, no. 37. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 12 February 31 July, 2005; Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, 18 September - 3 December 2005.
324 — Female statuette
G2000.64 35455
The rectangular base of this exquisite and extremely important masterpiece is decorated as a building with doors, windows and several friezes—an architectural motif sometimes called the hut design due to a resemblance to the large reed huts and mats commonly seen in the marshlands of southern Mesopotamia. On the upper part, a frustoconical stem and two large rings are known as an eye idol. The presence of this idol certainly brings the viewer closer to the ancient religious world, even if its exact delineation is unknown.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 31 October 2002.
323 — Pomegranate
327 — Eye idol atop an architectural structure Proto-Sumerian, 3rd millennium B.C. Chlorite H: 25.4 cm (10 in)
G1995.40 35497
Graeco- Phoenician, 5th century B.C. Terracotta H: 40 cm (15.7 in)
G1994.4 35479
Phoenician, 8th – 7th century B.C. Bronze D: 17.5 cm (6.9 in)
This phiale presented with a tondo, a rounded center, is adorned with a head seen in profile. All decorations are entirely incised and include three friezes of Egyptizing motifs (sphinxes with Nilotic bouquets, rams with arched horns, vultures) which were particularly fashionable among contemporary Phoenician craftsmen. As is often the case with Phoenician precious objects, metallic phiales are scattered throughout the Mediterranean world, from the Levantine coast to the territories of present-day Spain. Provenance Sotheby's, New York, 8 June 1994, lot 258; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 1994.
This statuette, of which the style and the forms are largely influenced by Greek art, has been shaped in a bivalve mold. She represents a woman in apparent adolsecence, dressed in a long chiffon without a belt, but rich in very elaborate folds. The forearms once extended towards the viewer but are now lost, and certainly carried objects—perhaps offerings. She would have had earrings and a head ornament. The statuette appears to be from an important group of Phoenician terracottas found off the shores of the Phoenician city of Tyre. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 24 November 1995.
329 — Bull head amulet
G2000.58 35707
Sumerian, ca. 2500 B.C. – 2400 B.C. Limestone H: 3.2 cm (1.26 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 21 October 2000.
325 — Necklace
G2000.69 35657
Sumerian, 2nd millennium B.C. Gold, carnelian, banded agate, amethyst L: 49.5 cm (19.4 in)
330 — Acephalus statuette
Provenance Christie’s, New York, 6 December 20000, lot 5; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 6 December 2000.
326 — Lion head seal
G2000.59 35708
Sumerian, ca. 3200 B.C. – 3000 B.C. Green stone L: 4.5 cm (1.77 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 21 October 2000.
G2000.31 35552
Near Eastern, Neolithic, 6000 – 4000 B.C Porphyry H: 8.1 cm (3.2 in) This object is very particular, first and foremost due to the stone used: very hard to carve, porphyry was rarely used during this early era, where the exploitation of metals was just beginning. Perfectly adapted to the grip of a hand, this small stone represents an acephalus, or headless pregnant female body. The head was made separately, and the base is flat, without indication of legs. The accentuation of the rounded forms classify this image within the “idol” category, in relation to beliefs on fertility often evoked for feminine figures of the Neolithic period. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Paris, 23 June 2000.
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331 — Ceremonial axe
G1997.2 35515
Bactrian, ca. 2000 B.C. Arsenical bronze H: 7.6 cm (3 in)
Despite its small size, this axe is remarkable due to its weight and solidity. Its contour is sinuous and perfectly balanced. The blade is formed in a half-moon with an unsharpened edge, the vertical and elliptical opening serving as the handle, while the heel produces, in a still smaller size, the same shape as the blade. The tool belongs to an important group attributed to Bactrian workshops, which comprised of linear examples, but also of zoomorphic axes or blades decorated with mythological and figurative scenes. More than real field weapons, these tools are considered votive or ceremonial offerings. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 15 February 1997.
332 — Seated Baboon
regular metal. On the back, the blade is completed by a magnificent carved group representing a man mastering a wild beast, in which one would be tempted to recognize the hero of the Near Eastern mythology, Gilgamesh, fighting against a lion. Provenance Ex- US private collection, California; Ex- Katz collection, New York; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 15 February 1997. Exhibited Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1990.
336 — Tripod bowl Syrian, 7th – 6th Millennium B.C. Rock crystal H: 3.5 cm (1.38 in)
G1999.9 35460
G2000.89 35719
Old Babylonian, 2nd millennium B.C. Haematite H: 3.5 cm (1.38 in)
Provenance Ex- Gawaine McKinely collection, London and Paris; Ex- Breitbart collection, New York; Sotheby's, New York, 5 June 1999, lot 86; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 5 June 1999
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 11 December 2000.
333 — Amulet of a bound captive
Exhibited The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1986-1999 G2001.78 35751
Proto-Sumerian, ca. 3000 B.C. Stone H: 3.7 cm (1.46 in)
337 — Cylindrical bowl
The captive is kneeling, while his hands are bound to his feet behind his back. His arms are broken. Sculpted in the round, in an angular fashion, the head is tilted back, his arms, in relief, are bent backwards and tied to his feet and buttocks, while his belly protrudes in front. His pointed beard and hairstyle (cap) indicate that he is a foreigner. The pupils are drilled. This amulet was probably worn by a high military officer. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 31 August 2001.
334 — Cylinder seal with spiral design
G1997.23 35521
Bactrian, 3rd millennium B.C. Chlorite L: 6.7 cm (2.6 in) Cut with great skill, the bowl is a simple cylinder without handles, then applied to a slightly concave base. It is entirely patterned with scales in slight relief, which represent a mountainous landscape. Identified by what is known as the intercultural style, this container belongs to a large group of vases found throughout the Near East. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 23 June 1997.
G2000.73 35802
Syrian, ca. 1850 – 1700 B.C. Haematite H: 5.7 cm (2.2 in)
338 — The sun goddess, Arinna Hittite, 14th – 13th century B.C. Stone H: 6.4 cm (2.5 in)
Provenance Christie’s, New York, 6 December 2000, lot 196; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 6 December 2000.
335 — Axe with Gilgamesh fighting a lion
G2000.81 35568
G1997.1 35514
Bactrian, ca. 2000 B.C. Arsenical bronze H: 9.2 cm (3.6 in)
This bronze axe should not be considered a weapon but more as a ceremonial object of decoration. It was cast in bronze with arsenic: this technology, relatively common in Western Asia during the third millennium B.C., aimed to either partially or completely replace the tin alloy with arsenic, resulting in a more resistant and
The statuette represents a female figure seated on a large rectangular bench, whose arms move forward as her hands holds two goblets, just in front of her chest. Her eyes, made of another material, show evidence of being present. The forms are generally stylized and a little naive: the circular face of the woman, with the severe expression, is surrounded by a large disk that probably represents the sun. Due to these traits on other similar figurines, we can reasonably recognize in the character of this figure as Arinna, the main Hittite deity, the sun goddess. Provenance Ex- Crescent Gallery, Tokyo; Christie's, New York, 7 December 2000, lot 695; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 December 2000.
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339 — Duck weight
G2000.39 35561
Babylonian, 8th – 7th century B.C. Green diorite H: 12 cm (4.7 in) - W: 16.5 cm (6.5 in) Weight: 2209.6 g (12.1 lbs) This carved stone weight depicts a duck with a truncated tail, his head turned backward as his bill rests on his back. Many animal species (goats, cattle, hedgehogs, etc.) were used as weights, but since the third dynasty of Ur and throughout the second millennium, the duck became the most frequent form. Despite the minimal difference, this object corresponds to a weight of five mines (a mine is equal to 442 grams). Some examples reveal an inscription indicating the name of a god or king, therefore guaranteeing the accuracy of how much it weighed.
G2001.76 35431
The work is composed of two elements: the frustoconical body and two large rings that justify the name of eye idol attributed to this type. The image of the eye symbolized by these "glasses" would reproduce the wonder of the believer before the sacred appearance of the deity. That their significance was likely aligned with the religious sphere has been discussed since Agatha Christie's husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan, discovered the first copies. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Geneva, 31 August 2001.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 4 August 2000.
340 — Ritual bowl with assembly scene
343 — Eye idol Near Eastern, 3500 – 3000 B.C. Red quartzite H: 14 cm (5.5 in)
344 — Lama figure (Human headed bull) G2002.1 35427
Bactrian, mid- 3rd millennium B.C. Steatite H: 5.8 cm (2.2 in)
This simple cylindrical bowl is decorated with five seated male characters appearing to participate in an assembly. Though four figures are typologically similar (in attitude, fashion and hairstyle), a leader among them differs. Only he is turned left to face the group, wearing a large necklace. The others lift their left arms in his direction as the chief raises his cup to drink. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 28 January 2002.
G2001.6 35444
Sumerian, Early Dynastic, 2500 – 2400 B.C. Indurated limestone H: 7.5 cm (2.9 in) - W: 13.5 cm (5.3 in)
This important figure was modeled in the form of a bull with a human head and the legs folded under the body, and a cubic element which serves to insert it into a statue or the arm of a throne. The ergonomic contour indicates that this was probably the final part of the installation, eventually sculpted for the armrest of a statue. Mesopotamian lama dieties were kind, protective spirits associated with the great sun god Shamash. An Assyrian king called upon lama dieties to "turn back an evil person, guard the steps, and secure the path of the king who fashioned them." They have a long tradition in Sumerian and Akkadian iconography, where it appears most often as protector of herds and as a tree of life. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 June 2001.
341 — Torso of a deity
G2001.77 35594
Western Asiatic, 1st millennium B.C. Bronze H: 33.5 cm (13.2 in) This hollow cast bronze woman dressed in a long tunic to her knees, held together by a thick belt folds her arms towards her chest and with her hands she touches her breasts. Her wrist is adorned with bracelets and her neck with a thick necklace. Although there is no precise element to establish the identity of the figure, her hand is positioned in an old iconographic tradition. This gesture suggests the woman was in close touch with the world of fertility, and is therefore possibly a deity. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 31 August 2001.
342 — Anthropoid sarcophagus lid
G2001.19 35660
Canaanite, ca. 14th – 13th century B.C. Terracotta H: 38.1 cm (15 in)
The hand-modeled life-sized head has a pointed chin, a small smiling mouth, and a large nose, the almondshaped eyes within raised lids, the forehead ridged and the ears angled forward, wearing a thick round fillet, his short hair rendered by rows of impressed finger-sized indentations.
Exhibited and Published The Centaur’s Smile: The Human Animal in Early Greek Art, Princeton University Art Museum, 11 October 2003 – 18 January 2004; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 22 February – 16 May 2004; PADGETT J.M., et al., The Centaur’s Smile: The Human Animal in Early Greek Art, Princeton, 2003, pp. 108-110, no. 1.
345 — Seated female deity
G2001.26 35436
Phoenician, 14th – 13th century B.C. Silver H: 14.8 cm (5.8 in) The female figure is seated on a throne, wearing a long rich tunic with a large central fold and belt cinched at the waist. In her left hand, she likely once held scepter. She wears a conical, high tiara decorated with wavy features in which one can discern serpents and stylized horns, thus identifying the woman as a deity. The use of silver is a testament to the importance of this statuette in ancient times, and these statuettes were generally deposited in a sanctuary to either serve as a votive offering or simply as a representational image. Provenance Sotheby’s New York, 12 June 2001, lot 123; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 12 June 2001.
Provenance Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2001, lot 357; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 8 June 2001. 288
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346 — Mask of a composite figure
G2001.1 35445
Sumerian, 3rd millennium B.C. Limestone, lapis lazuli, marble H: 7.4 cm (2.9 in) - W: 6.7 cm (2.6 in)
351 — Cylinder seal Near Eastern, ca. 3200 B.C. Rock crystal H: 2.5 cm (0.9 in)
G1999.12 35796
This stunning mask, which is likely to have belonged to a figure of an orant, a type of religious prayer iconography well-known in Mesopotamian art, has its marble eyes and etched lapis eyebrows made individually and affixed separately (probably with the help of bitumem). The face, of great artistic quality, is sculpted in the round. It shows traits characteristic of contemporary Mesopotamian sculptures, such as the profile of the nose, the shape of the eyebrows, the rounded cheekbones and the slight smile.
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 10 June 1999; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 10 June 1999.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 21 June 2001.
352 — Cylinder seal
347 — Hedgehog
G1999.13 35797
Near Eastern, ca. 650 B.C. Stone H: 2 cm (0.7 in) G2000.51 35706
Old Babylonian, ca. 2000 B.C. – 1500 B.C. Haematite W: 2.5 cm (0.98 in)
Provenance Sotheby’s, New York, 10 June 1999; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 10 June 1999.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 21 October 2000.
348 — Grasshopper amulet
353 — Stamp seal G2000.50 35705
Old Babylonian, ca. 2000 B.C. – 1500 B.C. Haematite L: 6.85 cm (2.7 in)
G2001.52 35733
Sumerian, ca. 3500 B.C. – 3000 B.C. Stone H: 2.2 cm (0.87 in) - L: 1.9 cm (0.75 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 21 October 2000.
354 — Stamp seal
349 — Head of a griffin
G1998.8 35532
Assyrian, 1st millennium B.C. Soapstone H: 4.8 cm (1.9 in) The typology and style of this magnificently detailed head recalls the protective demons of Assyrian palaces. It belonged to a statue of a griffin, a modern term of Greek origin, which is attributed to a mythological hybrid, generally composed of the body of a winged lion and the head of an eagle. Occasionally, the winged human body replaces the form. Appearing in the Near East during the 2nd millennium B.C., the griffin had already been known in the Mycenaean Greek world. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 16 April 1998.
G2001.53 35734
Mesopotamian, ca. 3500 B.C. – 3000 B.C. Marble H: 1.5 cm (0.59 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
355 — Stamp seal
G2001.54 35735
Mesopotamian, ca. 3500 B.C. – 3000 B.C. Marble H: 1.24 cm (0.49 in) - D: 3.1 cm (1.22 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
350 — Head pendant
G2001.85 35806
Assyrian, 8th – 7th century B.C. Stone L: 2 cm (0.7 in)
356 — Stamp Seal
A roaring lion’s head is carved in low relief. His open mouth memacing, while the lines around his face accentuate his expression.
G2001.55 35736
Mesopotamian, ca. 3500 B.C. – 3000 B.C. Alabaster H: 1.2 cm (0.47 in) - D: 2.2 cm (0.87 in) Beautiful alabaster pierced on the longer diameter and the flat side has a pattern of 10 indentations.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 31 August 2001.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
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357 — Duck weight stamp seal
G2001.56 35838
Mesopotamian, 3500 B.C. - 3000 B.C. Grey chalcedony H: 1.54 cm (0.61 in) - L: 2.18 cm (0.86 in) Pierced under the neck for suspension. Flat base is engraved with abstract image of a tree.
G1997.8 35690
Sumerian, ca. 3200 B.C. – 3000 B.C. Pink marble H: 2.3 cm (0.91 in) - D: 2.4 cm (0.94 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 29 March 1997.
359 — Lion head amulet
G2000.78 35567
The "idol", of miniature size and pierced through the stomach, represents a seated woman, with rounded and abundant forms comparable to those of so-called "steatopygous" figures of the Neolithic era. These were supposed to be in close relation (or to represent) the Mother Goddess, a great mythological figure protecting the fertility of animals and fields alike. She would have been venerated in a region very vast and varied, from the Near East to West-Central Europe.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 June 2001.
358 — Cylinder seal with animals
363 — Mother goddess Anatolian, Neolithic, 6th millennium B.C. Stone H: 2.7 cm (1.1 in)
Provenance Christie's, New York, 7 December 2000, lot 661; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 7 December 2000.
364 — Amphora
G1998.9 35693
Sumerian, ca. 3300 B.C. Obsidian L: 3.8 cm (1.5 in)
G1997.34 35634
Western Sichuan, 3rd – 2nd century B.C. Terracotta H: 31 cm (12.2 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in Amsterdam, 26 October 1997.
Black obsidian amulet with a lion head in one direction and an eagle’s beak in the other, pierced for suspension.
365 — Hand of Buddha
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 16 April 1998.
360 — Seal of a Recumbent Lion
G1997.4 35631
Southeast Asian, 13th century Bronze L: 25 cm (9.8 in) G2000.60 35709
Sumerian Stone L: 2.85 cm (1.12 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 15 February 1997.
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 21 October 2000.
361 — Cylinder seal
366 — Jar G1999.11 35795
Old Babylonian, 2nd millennium B.C. Haematite H: 2.3 cm (0.9 in)
G1998.18 35639
Chinese, Neolithic, ca. 3000 B.C. Terracotta H : 42.5 cm (16.7 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in London, 20 October 1998.
Provenance Sotheby's, New York, 10 June 1999; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 10 June 1999.
362 — Cylinder seal
367 — Sa Huynh pendant G2000.72 35801
Sumerian, Early Dynastic, ca. 3200 – 3000 B.C. Marble H: 2.8 cm (1.1 in) Engraved with a temple facade with a gateway, a gatepost to the left together with a standing nude hero with a sword in one hand, holding a small quadruped in the other, to their left a stag.
G1999.17 35695
Vietnamese, 5th – 1st century B.C. Stone W: 5.08 cm (2 in) Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 October 1999.
Provenance Christie’s, New York, 6 December 2000, lot 192; The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 6 December 2000. 292
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368 — Bracelet
G1999.5 35644
Southeast Asian, ca. 1500 – 500 B.C. Jade D: 16.8 cm (6.6 in) This large jade flanged bracelet had remnants of ancient repair, and would have been worn both as decoration and as a weapon. Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 25 May 1999.
369 — Earrings
Credits G2001.58 35738
Southeast Asian, Thailand, 4th – 1st century B.C. Glass H: 4.1 cm (1.61 in) - L: 4.7 cm (1.85 in)
Selection of objects Walter and Celia Gilbert, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 18 April 2001.
Project manager Alexander Gherardi, New York
New York
Hicham Aboutaam Alexander Gherardi Alexander V. Kruglov
Research Phoenix Ancient Art, Geneva Antiquities Research Center, New York 370 — Earring
G1999.18 35696
Southeast Asian, ca. 1st millennium B.C. Jade H: 5.2 cm (2.05 in)
Photography Stefan Hagen, New York
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 17 October 1999.
371 — Earrings
Graphic design mostra-design.com, Geneva
G2000.38 35704
T +1 212 288 7518 F +1 212 288 7121 E info@phoenixancientart.com
Geneva
Printing CA Design, Hong Kong
Southeast Asian, Thailand, 4th – 2nd century B.C. Glass L: 6.7 cm (2.64 in)
Electrum, Exclusive Agent for Phoenix Ancient Art S.A. 47 East 66th Street New York, NY 10065, USA
Ali Aboutaam Michael C. Hedqvist
Print run 600 English
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T +41 22 318 80 10 F +41 22 310 03 88 E paa@phoenixancientart.com
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 2 August 2000.
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372 — Bead in the shape of a monkey
G2000.63 35712
Vietnamese, Bronze Age, 1000 B.C. Rock crystal L: 1.9 cm (0.75 in)
Provenance The Gilbert collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, acquired in New York, 26 October 2000.
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