Ancient and Antique Oil Lamps
Oil lamps were one of the oldest and most important inventions of prehistoric humans. Prehistoric lamps date back to 15,000 to 12,000 years BC when caves were the only permanent dwellings of humans. The oldest known lamps were found in the reknowned caves of Lascaux, France. These large subterranean caves were impenetrable by the light of the sun but contain spectacular paintings by Paleolithic artists. To battle the deep darkness of these caves, humanity's first artists used flat rocks with shallow depressions to burn animal fat to create steady and near smokeless light to draw and paint by. La Goutte de la Mouthe (also in France) had similar unimaginative lamps but it also contained at least one stone lamp with a crudely carved Ibex on it's base.
Oil lamps dating to around 4000 BC have been found in Egypt where they were used for centuries to not only illuminate buildings and homes, but also to perform religious rituals which were an integral part of daily life. The majority of oil lamps from that point on were made of terracotta because of its light weight, low cost and ready availability. Molds were introduced around 600 BC which allowed for superior production, consistency and intricacy in the manufacturing process. Lamps made of copper, bronze, iron and precious metals were also produced for royalty, priests and the wealthy. Olive oil was the preferred fuel, and rope segments made of twisted natural fibers were used as wicks. Although simplistic in function, oil lamps came in all shapes and sizes and materials. They ranged from plain to the sublime, standing to hanging, and clay to precious metals. They transformed darkness to light for the many who burned-the-midnight-oil, told bedtime stories to their children, or who made love to the romantic glow of oil lamps after the kids were asleep.
Ancient Shabtis
Even after death Egyptians had work to do. To avoid these chores, small servant figurines were produced and placed in the tombs of royalty, high priests, military officers and the wealthy to do the work for the Deceased in the afterlife. The earliest known Shabtis come from the Middle Kingdom ~ 2055 to 1655 BC. These figures were mummiform in shape, made of wood or wax, and often placed in model wooden coffins. The more elaborate New Kingdom Shabtis were made of wood, metal, stone, or faience. These servant figures were often inscribed with a magical spell that ensured their proxy performance for the Deceased should they be called on to do labor. Since much of the required labor was needed in the fields, many of the Shabtis are depicted carrying hoes, picks, and baskets. Initially only a single Shabti was placed in each tomb. By the New Kingdom ~ 1550 to 1070 BC ~ tombs began to include multiple figures and even large work gangs of Shabtis with their own overseers!
Many Shabtis were minor in size, average in quality and mass produced with no inscriptions from the Book of the Dead. Higher end examples were larger in size, made specific mention of the Deceased's name and achievements, and as such were produced as custom one-of-a-kind master works. The large Alabaster Shabti for "Ker-Ta" identifies him as "Commander of the Archers" and as an "Officer of the Cavalry". It is both powerful and very personal at the same time.
Ancient Stamp and Cylinder Seals
Carved bone, antler and stone stamp seals have been used to stamp symbolic and descriptive impressions into clay and other soft objects from as early as the 7th millenium BC. Alongside the invention of the potters wheel and then chariot wheels in the 4th millenium BC, carved cylinders that could be inscribed then rolled into moist, impressionable clay allowed for the development of complex seal designs. Cylinder seals served as both amulets and as marks of ownership or identification. They were pressed and rolled into moist clay shapes that were used to officially close jars, baskets and entrances or they were rolled into inscribed clay tablets that recorded information about commercial and legal transactions. These remarkable cylinders were often made out of stone, mineral, fossil shell and faience but they were also carved out of semi-precious stones like agate, carnelian, coral and lapis. Both the material itself and the carved design were thought to have protective properties and as such were typically holed to allow for wearing by the owner as a charm or amulet. Cylinder seals are important to the study of ancient cultures because many varied examples survive from virtually every significant ancient civilization and time period. Seals serve as enlightening visual chronicles of changes in artistic style, communication, commerce, ritual and faith.
Assorted Chariot Attachments
The chariot dates back some 5000 years to early Mesopotamia. The first examples were heavy vehicles with solid wheels that were drawn by oxen. Interestingly, horses were not considered draft or work animals until 2000 BC when chariots were enhanced with super light spoked wheels and rapidly adopted for military purposes. Since chariots were made primarily of wood they rarely survived intact due to the rigors of time. A few surviving examples have been found in protective tombs such as King Tutankhamun's where a total of six were stored. However, since some of the parts and fittings for the chariots were made from bronze they were able to endure rot and degradation. Most of the attachments that I have collected were likely used on chariots. Notably, the rein guide on the right is from the famous Axel Guttman militaria collection and shows possible battle damage as a gash on the backside. The left rein guide features none other than the mythical hero Heracles himself!
The chariot hubcap is an exceptionally rare antiquity.
Fibula and Cloak Pins
Fibulae are metal fastening clasps that were very popular in Greek, Roman and Celtic societies. They were used by men in particular to fasten shoulder worn clothing articles like togas, capes, animal skins and furs. Pins were used for cloaks as well but also for hairdos. The higher the rank of the officer or ruling offical, and the wealthier the individual, typically the larger and more valuable the fibulae worn. Cloak and hair pins were not only decorative and status driven but also functional as fastening objects and personal weapons. The bronze Near Eastern Ibex cloak pin in this collection was a formidable weapon at a hefty 11 1/2 inches long (285 mm). The Ibex body and horns fit perfectly in the hand when gripped.
Amulets & Talismans
An amulet is a small object that contains natural magical powers to ward off evil, harm or illness or simply to bring good fortune to its wearer. Talismans are basically amulets that have been charged by its creator with specific powers. It is this charging or consecration that gives the talisman its magical abilities. Amulets come in all shapes, sizes and materials and date back to the earliest humans. They can be beautiful and highly personal objects that stir the imagination and require absolute dedicated faith.
Stone Age Tools
The Paleolithic or "Old Stone Age" period of human development began 2.6 million years ago. The Neolithic or "New Stone Age" period began around 10,000 years ago when humans first settled into communities and took up farming. A variety of tools were produced during these early stages of human history using shaped and flaked stones, knapped flint and carved wood and antlers.
Ancient Cuneiform Tablets
Cuneiform is a figural system of writing first developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia around 3500 BC. It is considered the most significant of the many cultural contributions of the Sumerians. The name comes from the Latin word cuneus for 'wedge' owing to the wedge-shaped style of writing. In cuneiform, a carefully cut writing implement known as a stylus is pressed into soft clay to produce wedge-like impressions. The impressions originally represented word signs (or pictographs) but later advanced to phonorgrams (or word concepts). All of the great Mesopotamian civilizations used cuneiform (the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Elamites, Hatti, Hittites, Assyrians, Hurrians and others) until it was abandoned in favor of alphabetic script at some point after 100 BCE.
This small but representative collection shows the variety of shapes and forms used to record cuneiform and we are fortunate to display a unique bronze stylus as well.
Ancient Game Pieces
Humans have enjoyed playing games for millenia. The 'Royal Game of Ur' board game dates back to 2600 BC and is the oldest complete set of gaming equipment ever found. This small collection has some rare pieces like the ancient encrusted carved jasper dreidel. The Roman bone top is particularly rare and entertaining too.
This small but representative collection shows the variety of shapes and forms used to record cuneiform and we are fortunate to display a unique bronze stylus as well.
Greek Lekanis Vessels
Greek Lekanis were terracotta footed low-bowls with a fitted lid. Often decorated with "Lady of Fashion" motifs, lekanis were very popular in the 5th century BC. Many were given as wedding gifts to brides and typically were used as fashionable contaners for cosmetics, jewelry and other small female fashion items.
Ancient Bronze Greaves
Greaves were used by the great warring empires to protect the legs of it soldiers from crippling blows and cuts by spears, swords, axes and maces. Formed from hammered (and later pressed) sheets of bronze and lined with shock absorbing felt and leather, greaves protected soldiers from slashing and hacking wounds to their legs which would have doomed them in close battle. The set of Assyrian greaves in the middle (shin and thigh) is extremely rare. No more than a handful of pieces of Assyrian armor exist today. The high quality workmanship of these beautiful pieces suggests that they were likely the property of a high ranking officer. The two flanking pairs of Greek greaves were likely custom made for young soldiers, given their sizes and shapes. All three sets are beautiful pieces of ancient metallurgy and artistry.
Metal Axes & Axeheads
Axes have been used for millennia to cut, split, and shape wood as well as harvest timber. They were also quickly adopted as weapons and effective tools for execution. Axes have many forms and specialised uses but generally consist of an axe head mounted on (or in) a wood or metal haft. The first axeheads were made of stone but that ubiquitous material was replaced over time by copper and then bronze, iron and then steel as smelting and forging technologies developed. Many different cultures revered the axe as a symbol of power and virility.
The items in this collection range from Ancient to Modern.
Maces & Maceheads
A mace is a blunt force clubbing weapon that uses a heavy head to deliver powerful blows. Maces typically consist of a strong, heavy, wooden or metal haft with an attached head made of stone, copper, bronze, iron or steel. The head of a military mace can be shaped with pointed flanges or knobs to allow greater penetration of plate armour. Stone mace heads were first used nearly eight millennia ago. Maces that date from Medieval times were known as flails and included a chain attached between the haft and the head. Flails allowed the user to swing the mace head at maximum force and send the macehead around an enemy's shield. En Garde!
The items in this collection range from Ancient to Modern.
Ancient Canopas & Illias
There is an ancient Andean myth that says alpacas first entered the world after a goddess fell in love with a human. The goddess's father consented to her inhabiting earth, but only if she brought her alpacas along and only if mankind afforded them special care. The goddess was named Pachamama and she came to represent Mother Earth. Canopas have been carved and buried in fields for 100's of years by the Inca people of Peru to honor Pachamama. The hole in the back of the canopa was filled with tallow and other substances to appease the goddess and insure a rich harvest.
Illas are generally smaller figurative charms used to ensure love and fertility. Those that were specifically made for the purpose of increasing the fecundity and health of herd animals were also referred to as chacras. Chacra means field or pasture which is where the charms powers were activated when they were buried.
Canopas and Illas were both personal and ceremonial as they represented many things to the ancient Peruvians, both as a ritual tool and a magical object.
Goddess Idols
Some of humanity's earliest societies were matriarchal ~ or at least woman centered and goddess worshipping ~ from the Paleolithic era 1.5 to 2 million years ago until sometime around 3000 BCE. Early cultures revered the vital and mysterious ability of women to bear children.
The Venus of Willendorf is one of the earliest images of the body made by humankind. It stands just over 4 inches high and is notable for it's large pendulous breasts and sizable love handles (!) and of course it's age ~ The Venus was carved some 25,000 years ago. It was discovered on the banks of the Danube River, in Austria, and it was most likely made by hunter-gatherers who lived in the area. The people who made such an idol lived in a harsh ice-age environment where large, plump, strong features represented the ideal for fertility and the future of their people. Throughout the history of humanity the femine appears in all areas of art, life and religion, representing fertility, strength, children, hearth and home.
The items in this collection range from Ancient to Modern.
Ancient & Antique Beads
The bead ~ a small decorative object that is formed in a variety of shapes and sizes and holed for stringing or attaching. Since ancient times beads have been made of wood, bone, horn, stone, copper, bronze, gold, glass et cetera with the oldest known beads made some 100,000 years ago from shell. See "Souk Buzz" for a detailed account of an ancient dark blue glass bead with a remarkable origin that made it all the way from Egypt to Denamrk thousands of years ago. What a fascinating story about trade and trading that would have made.
