Mesopotamian Traditions and Roman Craftmanship Intaglios – carved gemstones – usually mounted in rings, were a popular style of Roman jewellery for their aesthetic and practical uses. The technique was established well before the Roman period, most likely in Ancient Mesopotamia. Drill cutting techniques established by the Greeks, allowed the Romans to create intricate intaglio … Read more
Companionship and Service Grave goods in the shape of human figures, made from materials such as wood and terracotta, have a long history in Chinese culture. By the time of the so-called First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, founder of the Qin dynasty, whose terracotta army is widely known as the most impressive example of terracotta … Read more
Textiles in Antiquity Compared with their counterparts in ceramics and metal, textiles from the ancient world are often hard to come by. The conditions required to preserve textiles are often very specific; amongst the few parts of the world that meet the requirements is Egypt. A hotspot of archaeological interest, Egypt’s hot, dry climate is … Read more
Tibetan Buddhist Art Tibet has been a central hub of Buddhist belief and practise since the 8th century AD, when it became the formal state religion. As a means of supporting worship, many Buddhist communities have long produced impressive and beautiful works of art. One such branch of Tibetan Buddhist art is the production of … Read more
Early Spirals Spiral patterns, although associated now with the Celtic people, have in one form or another, been used in the art of many cultures worldwide. Appearing on rock art in Britain and Ireland as far back as the Neolithic period, spirals appear to have held important, though now forgotten, meaning with some of the … Read more
Amulets in Ancient Egypt were both decorative and practical, as they were considered as having apotropaic powers to protect or bestow power upon the wearer. Not only worn by the living, amulets have been found inside the wrappings of mummies, as they were used to prepare the deceased for the afterlife. Amulets held different meanings, … Read more
Jewellery in Ancient Egypt Jewellery has been worn by ancient cultures around the world for thousands of years. In ancient Egypt both men and women were great lovers of jewellery and adorned themselves with a profusion of charms and amulets. Jewellery also showed wealth and status and offered protection from evil. Although the Egyptians had … Read more
Byzantine art was largely defined by its Christian character. A lot of its earlier artistic tradition was centred around icons and religious symbols. Byzantine artists used gold liberally – largely on account of its availability in the area and the immense wealth accumulated by the Byzantine Empire. This combination of religious imagery and a disposition … Read more
Across the ancient world, we find a number of pieces that would have been worn by their owners for the sake of protection – primarily amulets. Jewellery of this apotropaic nature most often takes shape in the form of pendants, and we find them in abundance from a number of civilisations, especially Egypt and Ancient … Read more
Changing Preconceptions about Polychromy In recent times, there has been an increasing push from historians, archaeologists and curators to remind the public of one of the greatest misconceptions surrounding ancient art - it wasn't intended to be displayed as simply white marble. In fact, virtually every sculpture and every building was painted in bright colours, … Read more
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