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Collecting Guide: Ancient Roman Glass

According to the ancient Roman historian Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD), Phoenician merchants moored on the river Belus discovered glass accidentally in Syria around 5,000 BC. However the first glass objects, mainly beads, date back to around 3,500 BC in Mesopotamia. Phoenician merchants and sailors later spread the glass making techniques throughout the Mediterranean. Glassblowing [...]

The Significance of Carnelian in Ancient Egyptian Culture

Carnelian and its Frequent Use Carnelian is a semi-precious stone that was used frequently by the Egyptians of all social classes, through Dynastic Egypt till the Roman period. Sources mention of one mine, found in Egypt, which would have supplied carnelian from the Middle Kingdom. However, the source of the gemstone before this is relatively [...]

The Significance of Carnelian in Ancient Egyptian Culture

Carnelian and its Frequent Use Carnelian is a semi-precious stone that was used frequently by the Egyptians of all social classes, through Dynastic Egypt till the Roman period. Sources mention of one mine, found in Egypt, which would have supplied carnelian from the Middle Kingdom. However, the source of the gemstone before this is relatively [...]

How Ancient Egyptian Shabtis and Funerary Statuettes Watched Over the Dead

What were shabtis? In ancient Egypt, shabtis were funerary statuettes placed in the tombs and used to accompany the deceased in the afterlife. They appeared at the end of the First Intermediate period. A shabti was a small human figurine who would perform a given task in the afterlife for the deceased, and therefore would [...]

How Ancient Egyptian Shabtis and Funerary Statuettes Watched Over the Dead

What were shabtis? In ancient Egypt, shabtis were funerary statuettes placed in the tombs and used to accompany the deceased in the afterlife. They appeared at the end of the First Intermediate period. A shabti was a small human figurine who would perform a given task in the afterlife for the deceased, and therefore would [...]

How Ancient Art Influenced Modern Art

From the masters of the Renaissance such as Botticelli, Michelangelo and Caravggio, to the Romantic painters of the 19th century, the art of ancient Greece and Rome has inspired artists for over 2,500 years. Art History shows how every stylistic and aesthetic innovation bases its roots on the artistic productions of the previous centuries. The [...]