The handle-less unguentarium is a form of pottery that was commonly found in burial sites. Typically, it is a very thin, cylindrical container with either a bulge in the middle or at the bottom. Used as packaging of market products and in funerals, the unguentarium usually held oils, powders, and other substances and were either…
Object JI1733 features a striking iridescent quality that is often found in ancient glassware. Unlike the process of achieving iridescence in modern pieces, the iridescence of this object and others like it was not an intentional design choice made by artisans in ancient times. Rather, iridescent qualities in ancient glassware are caused by weathering on…
Object 171 is a faience figurine of the god Nefertum. Based on comparanda, this is likely a piece from the Late – Ptolemaic Periods (ca. 664-30 BCE). He is shown striding with his left leg forward, though his feet are broken off, and with his arms hanging by his sides. He has a beard and…
Object 247 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. Figures such as this are representations of a long history of statuette production in and around Tanagra, which underwent several stages of cultural significance…
In celebration of National Olive Day (June 1), we’re taking a closer look at an object associated with olive oil storage – the lekythos! With a narrow neck and a single handle, the lekythos is a small vessel that stores perfumed olive oils or other balms. Associated with death and funerals in the Greek world,…
This is a fragment of a Nabataean Corinthian column found in the Great Temple at Petra. Like many of the Great Temple pieces, this limestone piece features floral imagery in relief, this time depicting poppies and vines. Nabataeans used Hellenistic and Roman styles, like Corinthian columns, alongside local styles to create their own unique architecture.…
This partial ceramic bowl and the six fragments associated with it are made of relatively thin clay with a green and brown design coated in an iridescent glaze. The center of the bowl features an abstract geometric design with large brown dots and swirls in negative space. The wall of the bowl and the accompanying…
This ceramic oil lamp has a bowl-like shape with a raised center and a rim that has been folded over and pinched to form a place for the wick to rest. Both the interior and exterior of this lamp were glazed with a blue-turquoise color. Today, the lamp’s pigment appears iridescent, evidence of oxidation over…
This carved pine cone is a fragment of a Nabataean Corinthian column found in the Great Temple at Petra. Carved out of white limestone, the pine cones on this column were likely intended to depict an Aleppo pine cone. Such natural imagery is believed to be related to Dionysus, the Greek god of vegetation and…
RRC 28/3, Rome, 225-212 BCE, 6.54g This silver Roman Republican coin is called a quadrigatus after the four-horsed chariot (a quadriga) on the reverse (the back) of the coin. The quadriga is driven by the winged goddess Victory with Jupiter riding at her side holding a scepter in his left hand and preparing to hurl a…