Object D24, a small glass bottle, likely Islamic, is an example of glassware created using cold working techniques (techniques that don’t require heat – like grinding, carving, engraving, and polishing). Glassblowers and glasscutters worked together to create the facets, or flat surfaces, on pieces like this. First, a glassblower would create a hollow, thick-walled…
In celebration of National Color Day (October 22nd), we’re highlighting object JI1716ab. This object is an example of a Tanagra type figurine, named after the cemeteries in the Tanagra region of Greece in which figures like these were discovered in the 19th century. The object is a sitting woman draped in intricately folded garments, supported…
Objects: 1526, 1527, 1528JIAAW, Old Department Collection Having just celebrated Indigenous People’s Day (Oct 12), we wanted to take a look at objects 1526, 1527, and 1528 – sherds that bring up important discussions about Native American history, representation, survival, and continuance. While most objects in the JIAAW collection are Mediterranean in origin, these sherds…
Object: 98JIAAW, Bishop Collection Stamnoi are somewhat squat, wide-mouthed pots, usually with a low foot and two horizontal, often upturned handles. They are often depicted being used to mix or serve wine, but some examples have been found with lids, suggesting they were also used to store liquids. Stamnoi are frequently decorated with scenes related…
While the provenance of these particular objects is unknown, plaster reliefs such as these were popular souvenirs in the 18th and 19th centuries. A tradition for wealthy young European men and women was a Grand Tour of Europe, lasting for months or even years, with visits to major cities and cultural sites. Artisans took advantage…
The olpe is one of the earlier types of the oinochoe and specifically has no spout and a high handle above the lip. In English, its most equivalent term is the pitcher. During meals or drinking, it would serve as a measure of how much wine had been consumed. -Elaina Kim ‘21, JIAAW Records and…
Archaeologists classify sherds (pottery fragments) into three main categories: rim sherds, body sherds, and base sherds. In order for a sherd to be identified as a rim sherd, it must include at least a small piece of the lip of the vessel – like this sherd from the acropolis at Pergamon. Archaeologists use the angle…
This lead wreath was found in the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia in Sparta, Greece. The sanctuary was established in the 9th century BCE and was an important site for centuries – being rebuilt, expanded, and incorporated into new structures up until the 3rd century CE. The sanctuary was devoted to Artemis Orthia, likely a merging…
This small cup is a beautiful example of a quintessential Etruscan vessel: a drinking cup of a Greek type made in the typically Etruscan bucchero sottile. As a drinking cup, it is very much associated with the symposium or feasting banquet that became very prominent in Etruria (Central Italy, roughly modern Tuscany and Lazio) during…
Happy National Dog Day! In celebration, let’s take a look at object 286 – a solid bronze figurine of a dog begging (sitting up on hind legs with paws drawn to the chest). It’s possible this figurine depicts one of the most popular dogs in antiquity – the Melitan, also known as the Melitaean,…