Opal/matrix cameo brooches - Wilhelm Schmidt, late 19th century.
Schmidt pioneered this cameo technique in the 1870s; using a slab of matrix overlain by a thin layer of opal, he carved a figure in the underlying matrix and its accoutrements from the opal layer.
Safety deposit box keys
BOOKBINDING TERMS, MATERIALS, METHODS, AND MODELS
This booklet was compiled by the Special Collections Conservation Unit of the Preservation Department of Yale University Library
Two incredible recent archaeological finds provide powerful and beautiful visual reminders of the presence of the Roman Empire in Great Britain.
Amateur archaeologists in southeast England discovered a Roman mosaic, dating back more than 1000 years in the small village of Boxford. The the dig led by the Boxford History Project and the Berkshire Archaeology Research Group has been excavating Roman sites in the area since 2015.
When the first, vibrant colors of the mosaic poked through the broken dirt of the excavation site, “I was stunned into silence,” said the leader of the Boxford History Project, Joy Appleton, in an interview with the New York Times.
The mosaic shows characters and beasts from Roman mythology, including Bellerophon and the chimera. The team has also unearthed jewelry, coins, and an entire barn.
Meanwhile in Gloucestershire metal detector users uncovered a hoard of ancient Roman bronze artefacts that includes a sculpture of a licking dog never found before in Britain. The licking dog is an example of a healing statue, and may be linked to a Roman healing temple at Lydney. The exact location of the discovery is not being disclosed.
Reference: Sarah Gibbens. “Massive Roman Mosaic Unearthed in England.” National Geographic, 20 September 2017; and: Press Association. “Metal Detectorists Unearth Unique Hoard of Roman Artefacts.” The Guardian, 27 September 2017.
The bronze sculpture of a “licking dog’ discovered in Gloucestershire. Photograph: Gloucestershire County Council/PA.
Roman Terret (Rein Guide), c. 50. Found at East Anglia. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Nr. 6079.
Roman gladiator figurine, 1st or 2nd century. The British Museum, Nr. P&EE 1888 7-19 97.
Haltwhistle (Northumberland, England) – Hadrian’s Wall, Roman Britain, c 150. University of California, San Diego
Roman Provincial Statuettes of Gods and Goddesses. c. 200. Found Southbroom, Wiltshire. The British Museum
Roman Painting at Lullingstone Villa Chapel, c 350. The British Museum.
Further Reading: Adam Rogers. The Archaeology of Roman Britain: Biography and Identity. New York: Routledge, 2015.
Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow. The Archaeology of Sanitation in Roman Italy: Toilets, Sewers, and Water Systems. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2015.
Posted by Jean Marie Carey
Salvador Dali silver-gilt cutlery, 1957
One of the most exquisite works at the National Archaeology Museum in Athens. The intricate inlaid wire patterns cover her body in patterns perfectly fit for body tattoos.
Statue of the princess-priestess Takushit Copper alloy hollow cast Late Period, end of 25th Dynasty, ca. 670 BC The long, diaphanous robe, which is decorated all over with incised patterns that were filled with precious metal wires (technique of damasking), accentuates the beautifully shaped, sensuous body.
This beautiful trihemistater was stuck circa 260 BC. It has the image of Persephone-Tanit wearing a barley wreath, a bar and triple pendant earring and a necklace with pendants. The reverse shows a horse with it’s head turned back. Perfectly struck and centered on a full flan. Extremely fine.
Precise geometric pattern on a rams-head: terracotta pot. East Greece, 6th BC.
Currently preserved at the Met Museum, New York.
Writing implements: stylus, wooden writing tablet, ink wells
Roman, 1st century
FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS:
THE Four Truths (Skt: catvari aryasatyani; Pail: cattari ariyasaccani), also commonly known as ‘The Four Noble Truths’ explain the basic orientation of Buddhism. They are the truths understood by the 'worthy ones,’ those who have attained enlightenment or nirvana. The four truths are dukkha (the truth of suffering); the arising of dukkha (the causes of suffering); the stopping of dukkha (the end of suffering); and the path leading to the stopping of dukkha (the path to freedom from suffering).
Article by Charley Linden Thorp on AHE
GAMES, SPORTS, & RECREATION IN ANCIENT EGYPT:
ALTHOUGH the ancient Egyptians are often depicted as death-obsessed and dour, they actually had a great appreciation for life and their culture reflected their belief in existence as an eternal journey imbued with magic. Inscriptions, artwork, and various objects all make clear that ancient Egyptian life focused on enjoying life and making one’s time on earth worthy of living eternally. One of the ways they pursued this goal is familiar to anyone in the modern day: through sports and games.
Many of these recreational activities are the same as those in the present day and were played in more or less the same way. Physical fitness was an important part of an ancient Egyptian’s life and sports helped one to maintain one’s health and vigor. Games were more intellectual pursuits, such as the popular Senet which seems to have been their version of checkers. These sports and games reflected the values of the culture in that they were obviously fun but also contributed to one’s overall well-being.
Article by Joshua J. Mark on AHE
Hunebedden are chamber tombs similar to dolmens and date to the middle Neolithic (Funnelbeaker culture, 4th millennium BC). They consist of a kerb surrounding an oval mound, which covered a rectangular chamber of stones with the entrance on one of the long sides. Some have a more complex layout and include an entrance passage giving them a T-shape.
Hunebed D18 dates from 3400 to 3200 BC. It is a large hunebed, measuring almost 43feet (13 m) long, one of the largest in the Netherlands.
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