Ancient Artifacts and Figures

A variety of ancient artifacts, including terracotta bowls, masks, and anthropomorphic figures from different cultures, each reflecting unique artistic styles and cultural significance.

Mayan terracotta bowl in the shape of a death's head . From la Lagunita, Guatemala. 300-600 AD

Mask ca. 1825 Tlingit. Mask 310596

Head, 4 5/8 x 3 3/4 x 2 1/2 in. (11.7 x 9.5 x 6.4 cm), Earthenware, Mexico

Anthropomorphic Figure

Mayan terracotta bowl in the shape of a death's head . From la Lagunita, Guatemala. 300-600 AD

Peru, Lima. Inca portrait vase at the National Museum of Archeoligy, Anthropology and History of Peru.

Wooden mask from Luba/Hemba, Zaire, National Museum of Culture, Pretoria, South Africa, Africa

Business Bundle Figure 1790-1890 Mesquakie or Potawatomi. Business Bundle Figure 319016

CANOPO DE CABEZA DE MUJER CON PENDIENTES DE ORO.

Ceramic vessel Virú culture 100 BC-200 AC Perú.

Canopic jar of Nephthys ca. 1981-1802 B.C. Middle Kingdom This Middle Kingdom canopic jar belongs to a set of four (11.150.17b-e), which were used to contain the viscera removed from the body during mummification. These four jars belong very probably to the burial of a mayors daughter called Nephthys (for her mummy, see 11.150.15c, and for her two coffins, see 11.150.15a, b). In earlier periods, canopic jars had simple disc-shaped or hemispherical lids. In the late First Intermediate Period to early Middle Kingdom, however, lids in the form of human heads were introduced.. Canopic jar of Nephthys. ca. 1981-1802 B.C.. Indurated limestone, paint, linen. Middle Kingdom. From Egypt, Middle Egypt, Meir, Khashaba excavations, 1910-11. Dynasty 12

Figure of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. Dimensions: H. 51.7 cm (20 3/8 in.); W. 24.5 cm (9 5/8 in.); D. 31.5 cm (12 3/8 in.). Date: 332-30 B.C..This mummiform figure represents the funerary deity Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. On his head are two ostrich plumes, hieroglyphs for maat (the proper order of the Egyptian cosmos), a sun disk, and two horns. The inscription down the center of the body tells us the figure was made for a priest of Osiris whose name is unfortunately effaced. The inscription continues on the back, where the name of the owner's father, the priest of Osiris Padiaabehdet, is preserved.The pedestal on which the figure stands is partially hollow, and contains a linen-wrapped object that might be a roll of papyrus inscribed with spells to assist the owner in his afterlife, or alternatively a mummified animal. On the lid that covers the opening into the base is the protective deity Sopdu in the form of a mummified hawk. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Mask 1820-40 Tlingit. Mask 312237

Chavin head with dragons, 9th-3rd cent. PERU.

Lid of burial urn, Sinu Region. Colombia.

Ceramic female statuettes from the Mexican state of Guanajuato

Mask

Head of Iyoba. Nigeria, Kingdom of Benin, Edo peoples 18th-19th century. Brass, Iron.

Head of a Queen Mother 16th Century. Cast Brass from Benin.

Portrait Jar in Form of Human Head

Maskette Tsimshian or Tlingit, Native American ca. 1780-1830 Pacific Northwest clan leaders hold potlatch ceremonies to renew their social status through a costly feast and gift exchange. Traditionally, the host would accumulate food, clothing, and trade goods, such as marine shells and copper, and commission specialized artists to create dance masks to further display this wealth. This ritual maskette or frontlet is pierced around the edges to affix it to a headdress assemblage. The blindingly white teeth are made of highly valued opercula, a hard plug that allows the marine mollusk to close its shell. The masks pointy nose may reference the beak of a bird or the mouth of an octopus. View more. Maskette. Tsimshian or Tlingit, Native American. ca. 1780-1830. Wood, copper, shell, and pigment. Possibly made in British Columbia, Canada; Possibly made in Alaska, United States

Andean Pre-Hispanic native: Tiwanaku culture painted wooden, drinking goblet; 4th -12th century AD.

Stirrup spout bottle with dignitary figure 3rd-5th century Moche. Stirrup spout bottle with dignitary figure 308412

Poporo (Lime container) 300 B.C-A.D. 700 Early Quimbaya This object is a poporo, or a container for powdered lime. It is hollow and made of cast metal. There is an opening at the top of the poporo, with a ridge around the openings circumference. Moving away from the top, the poporo widens, and the shape of its upper region is conical. At the widest point of this region, there is a cast filigree band that wraps around the circumference. The general outline of the object curves inward before branching outward to form the majority of the poporo, which is relatively rectangular. Its long sides, however, are curved. On the obverse, the center of this main region shows a standing female figure. This figure is framed at top and on the sides by cast filigree bands of approximately the same thickness as that of the filigree band in the upper region. On the reverse, the only designs are three cast filigree bands in the same locations as they appear on the obverse. This is distinct from another

Hathor / Bat emblem ca. 1570-1479 B.C. New Kingdom The face and horns of this early goddess face have the wig, collar and naos acquired when the Bat emblem was combined with Hathors sistrum in the Middle Kingdom. The wig with curls was worn by queens and private women from the Middle Kingdom to the early New Kingdom, and was adopted to adorn the Bat face when in that period it was first incorporated into the sistrum emblematic of Hathor. A small uraeus crowned with a sun disk appears in the doorway of the naos. Traces of color appear on the small ivory - blue in the collar and hair, red in the space between the volutes and the naos, and bits of gesso(?).. Hathor / Bat emblem 554645

Bell in the Form of a HumanHead

Statue of Shebenhor 664 BCE-525 BCE Egypt. Shebenhorís heavy, round ìbag wigî was fashionable at the time this statue was carved. The splayed toes, broad shoulders, and exaggerated narrowness of the waist are also characteristic of Egyptian statues of this era. Statues of individuals were placed in temples to maintain a connection between the dedicator and the god. The statue was capable of eternally transferring the blessings of the god to the individual.. Basalt . Ancient Egyptian

Pair of Ancestor Figures with Cloth WaistWrappers

Costa Rica, San Jose, Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, Gold metalworking

Zoomorphic or anthropomorphic Mayan figurine with the head of an owl. Mexico. Guatemala or Belize 600-900 AD

Ushabti funerary figurine, he name of the deceased was to be inscribed at the moment of purchase, dolerite

Commemorative head of Queen Mother. Lost-wax cast in brass. life-size female head with curving conical hairstyle covered. Early 16th century. Benin. British Museum. London, England, United Kingdom.

Shabti of Queen Tia ca. 1295-1186 B.C. New Kingdom, Ramesside. Shabti of Queen Tia 553759

Mask. Africa, Liberia, Dan peoples. Jewelry and Adornments; masks. Wood

Ecuador, Pre-Columbian civilization, Goldsmithery, Golden pectoral in shape of feline, From San Isidro

Old electric buege iron old electrical iron, Old Iron

Inca gold idol. Female figure. PERU.

Pre-Columbian Jewelry Moche culture 100 AC-800 AC Perú.

African Mask on a white background

Mask on house wall, pushkar, rajasthan, india, asia Copyright: xSarveshxJoshi/DinodiaxPhotox

Mask, 20th century, 19 3/4 x 13 1/2 x 6 in. (50.2 x 34.3 x 15.2 cm), Wood, cloth, metal, Liberia/Côte d'Ivoire, 20th century, The size of this mask is highly unusual. Unlikely to have been worn, it is probably a 'family mask' that was hung on the wall to protect the household. The four little pouches above the forehead are protective talismans. Characteristic of many Dan masks is the high forehead split by a vertical ridge, and the angle at eye level. The holes in the upper lip contained wooden or metal teeth.

TESORO DE LOS QUIMBAYAS - FIGURA MASCULINA DE ORO - COLOMBIA - 200-1000 DC. Location: MUSEO DE AMERICA-COLECCION. MADRID. SPAIN.

Statue of Thutmose III, New Kingdom, Dynasty XVIII, Egyptian civilization

Mask Fragment 10th-16th century Muisca. Mask Fragment 309955

Gunpowder Flask, 20th century, 9 x 5 1/4 x 4 5/8 in. (22.9 x 13.3 x 11.7 cm) (without stand), Wood, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 20th century, Firearms were used by 19th century Congo hunters and warriors but were relatively rare. These smooth bore muskets were muzzle-loaders which were charged with loose powder and ball. Accessories such as this gun powder flask were specially decorated to reflect the power and importance of the men who carried them.

Artefacts (Sphinx figures) from Turkey, 1800 BC. Artist: Unknown

Statues in the pottery studio of Don Jose Garcia, known as the blind potter, in San Antonino Castillo Velasco near Oaxaca, Mexico.

Gold Rhyton of Achemenian Period. 5th cent. BC.

Phoenician anthropomorphic head, on a wine Jug. From El Aouja, Tunisia; 3rd Century AD. Musée national du Bardo. Tunisia

Wooden sculpture

Architectural Fitting in the Form of a Serpent. Thailand, Sawankhalok, circa 1400-1500. Architecture; Architectural Elements. Modeled stoneware with cream slip, underglaze brown painted decoration, and clear glaze

Chinese Lion Mask. Anonymous Folk Artist. Japan, late 18th-early 19th century. Costumes; Accessories. Wood with Negoro lacquer

Male Figure (Moai Tangata) Rapa Nui people early 19th century Of all Rapa Nui wood sculptures, the naturalistic male figures known as moai tangata, with their enlarged heads, frontal stance, and prominent stomachs, bear the closest formal resemblance to the island's well-known stone figures. Little is known about the nature and use of moai tangata, but they likely portray ancestors or other powerful supernatural beings. This example has a hole drilled through the neck, indicating that like other Rapa Nui figures, it may have been worn as a pendant during harvest festivals and other ceremonies.What appears to be the figure's hair consists of a group of three images depicting fish-like creatures with human heads and long flowing beards. These distinctive fish-men, virtually identical to examples that appear in Rapa Nui rock art, possibly represent spirits called nuihi, which combine the features of humans and sharks. View more Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story #1720. Male

Votive head. 6th c. BC. Etruscan art. Terra-cotta. ITALY. LAZIO. ROME. Cerveteri. National Etruscan Museum of Archaeology.

Frau mit einem älteren Behälter für Ifa-Wahrsageinstrumente woman with an agere container to hold Ifa divination instruments, Yoruba, Nigeria 1920, carved and painted wood, MEB, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain LicenseRF Copyright: xZoonar.com/Tolox 23171254

Cuff bracelet with eye Oudjat, Tomb of Sheshonq II, 930 BC. EGYPT.

Statuette of the Goddess Taweret 332-30 B.C. Ptolemaic Period In all likelihood, this statuette represents the goddess Taweret, whose domain was the protection of pregnant women, especially during childbirth. Her menacing image, intended to frighten away demons and other deadly creatures, combines human, hippopotamus, crocodile, and lion attributes. The post on her head probably supported a metal crown in the shape of a sun disk, surmounted by either feathers or horns. The stylized symbol under her front paws can be best interpreted as the sa amulet. Although Taweret was worshipped in both secular and sacred settings, this statuette's almost perfect condition, exceptional craftsmanship, size, and iconography suggest that it was created for a templepossibly for the "birth house" where this goddess was linked with Isis.In the past, the piece was identified as true glass. While it is difficult to identify the material precisely, pooling of glaze around the feet and the slightly grainy st

Statuettes of the Four Sons of Horus, Late Period, Ptolemaic Period, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Manhattan, New York City, USA, North America

Egypt, Cairo, Gold death mask, Tomb of Tutankhamun, Cairo Museum

Isolated Wood Totem Front view of wood totem isolated on white background Copyright: xZoonar.com/DanielxFerreira-LeitesxCiccarinox 9693297

Part of the Treasure of Kofi-Karikari, King of Ashanti, present-day Ghana

Uszebti. unknown, author

Pre-Columbian Jewelry Chimú culture 1100 AC-1470 AC Perú.

Netsuke, 19th century, Unknown Japanese, 2 1/16 × 1 7/16 × 3/4 in. (5.24 × 3.65 × 1.91 cm), Stoneware, Japan, 19th century

Headdress Ornament 1st-7th century Calima (Yotoco) Five lateral rays project out from either side of this gold Calima headdress ornament, surrounding central crescent-shaped projections located both above and below a central face rendered in high relief. When worn, the lower central crescent-shaped element would have covered the wearers forehead and nose. The rays may have been designed to emulate the plumage of an elaborate feather headdress with their slightly curved forms with three notched triangular elements and linear designs. Every other ray has a series of dangling pendants attached by small gold wires, increasing in number from six to eight to ten, successively from top to bottom, with three pendants missing from the bottom ray on the right. When the wearer moved, these pendants would have swayed back and forth, producing a tinkling sound. This combination of sound and motion would have animated the piece in a dramatic fashion.The face in high relief at the center of the head

Kifwebe Mask, Eastern Songye, Zaire African Art Wood Private Collection, Geneva, Switzerland

Two terracotta roundels with theatrical masks. Culture: Greek. Dimensions: Overall: 3 x 5 3/4in. (7.6 x 14.6cm)diameter 5 11/16in. (14.5cm). Date: 1st century B.C..A pair of terracotta roundels with theater masks (hetaira and slave). Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Pendant with Human Face. Mexico, Guerrero, Tabasco, or Veracruz, Olmec, 900-400 BCE. Stone. Jadeite

Padipepa, boat, padiamonnesuta, boosbti wahibre-anem-anet; 664-525 BC ; Half period, 26 dynasty (-664-00-00--525-00-00);Padipep (Ca 664-525 A.C.), padipep (private name), Wahibre -em-Cachet (Ca 664-525 A.C.), Tomb figurines, back pillars, hieroglyphs

England, Oxfordshire, Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, Exhibit of Japanese Samurai Armour

Sun Mask, c. 1860, 17 1/4 x 15 3/4 x 4 7/8 in. (43.82 x 40.01 x 12.38 cm), Wood, metal, pigment, cord, cloth, Canada, 19th century, Masks have always played an important ceremonial function among tribal groups in the Northwest Coast region. Artists of the Kwakwaka'wakw are known for the bold, expressive features of their masks, which were the property of noble families who had exclusive rights to their use. They appeared during potlaches, elaborate ceremonies that reinforced the tribe's lineage and social hierarchies. Sun masks figured prominently during retellings of Kwakwaka'wakw origin stories because of the sun's role as creator and sustainer of life.

Jar in the Form of a Abstract Human Face with Modeled Facial Features Made 180 BCE-500 CE Peru. Ceramic and pigment . Nazca

Canopic Chest of Khonsu ca. 1304-1237 B.C. New Kingdom, Ramesside The canopic box, made for Khonsu (see 86.1.1a, b and 86.1.2a, b), has a shrine-shaped lid and the typical Egyptian cavetto cornice around the upper edge. It is built on sledge runners, and there are two knobs for tying the lid shut. The interior is divided into four compartments for the storage of the four internal organs. The lid is decorated with two images of Anubis as a jackal, and the sides of the box are decorated with the goddesses Isis and Nephthys, Selket and Neith, and the Four Sons of Horus, protectors of the internal organs. The inscriptions assure Khonsu of their protection. Other objects in the collection that were discovered in the same tomb can be viewed here.. Canopic Chest of Khonsu 544708

Mask from Carnival Costume, Italy 1990 Artist Unknown

Plank-shaped figurines, Red Polished Ware. Figurines, probably female, with 2 or 3 necks, 2300-2000 BC.

Germany, Bavaria, Munich, Deutsches Museum, Exhibit of Replica Mask of Tutankhamun

Fragment of cartonnage depicting three deities 200 BC-200 AD Ptolemaic Period--Roman Period Designed to encase a mummy, this cartonnage is composed of about seven layers of linen plastered together to form a hard shell. Visible on this fragment are three gods: at the right is the creator god Atum in the double crown; followed by the ram-headed god Khnum; and then Hapy, personification of the fertility brought by the Nile River. An inscription in roughly-sketched hieroglyphs runs from right to left in the band above their heads. The somewhat awkward style of the figures reflects the period from which this fragment dates.. Fragment of cartonnage depicting three deities. 200 BC-200 AD. Cartonnage. Ptolemaic Period--Roman Period

Terracotta double vase from the Chancay culture, pre-Columbian archaeological civilization which developed between the valleys of Fortaleza, Pativilca, Supe, Huaura, Chancay, Chillón, Rimac and Lurin, on the central coast of Peru. Dated 12th Century

Censer with Solar Deities. Northern Guatemala or Southeastern Mexico, Maya, 300-600 CE. Ceramics. Ceramic with post-fire pigment

Maori tribal wooden flute (Koauau), with haliotis shell inlays. Circa 1900. New Zealand

Folk art: Horse's head, painted wood, Cochin, India, 2009.

Reliquary Guardian Figure (ethnicity Kota or Bakota, Fang). They protect the relics of the ancestors and are helpful to communicate with their gods and to curse their wives in case of infidelity. African art. Jewelry. Proc: GABON.

Golden funerary mask of Tutankhamen (1347/1338 b.c.) inlaid with lapis lazuli, obsidian and turquoise

The death mask placed on a mummy

Shabti box of Khabekhent. It contained the funerary statuettes of Khabekhent, son of Sennedjem. He lived in the city of Deir el-Medina, being part of the craftsmen who worked on the construction of the Valley of the Kings. New Kingdom. 19th Dynasty. Reign of Ramesses II, 1292-1191 BC. Polychrome wood. From Deir el-Medina, Thebes (Luxor), Egypt. National Archaeological Museum. Madrid. Spain.

England, Oxfordshire, Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, Display of Egyptian Mummies

Gold Mask Of Tutankhamun 1342 BCE Egyptian Art(- ) Gold Inlaid W/Jewels Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt

Africa, Angola, Luanda. Worship object masks made of tree bark, resin and rooster feathers used for the Mukanda ceremony in the National Museum of Anthropology.

Headdress frontlet ca. 1820-40 Tsimshian, Native American During certain ceremonies, Tsimshian leaders wear symbols that validate their authority, such as dance blankets woven from cedar bark fibers and mountain sheep wool or rattles carved in the shape of a raven. Among the most important elements of chiefly attire is the headdress. This avian example of a headdress centerpiece, or frontlet, was once adorned with goose down, a train of ermine skins, and a crown of spiky sea mammal whiskers. Its central image depicts a mythological bird-human. The strong beak, projecting wings, and realistic talons showcase the artists skill and recall similar three-dimensional imagery on monumental carvings.. Headdress frontlet. Tsimshian, Native American. ca. 1820-40. Wood, abalone shell, pigment, and nails. Made in British Columbia, Canada

Doll, one of pair, 20th century, 8 5/8 x 2 1/2 x 2 in. (21.91 x 6.35 x 5.08 cm), Wood, fabric, yarn, beads, shells, Kenya, 20th century

Painted Wooden Model of a 12th Dynasty Egyptian Boat with Crew.

Old Roman helmet in a museum in Southern Italy

I-ORCA EN MADERA TALLADA Y PINTADA-PROCEDE DE HAIDA 1850. Location: MUSEO IMPERIAL. WIEN. AUSTRIA.

Shadow Puppet Head, 20th century, 5 in. (12.7 cm), China, 20th century

Close-up of a beaded peace mask, Ghana

Egyptian mummies. On the right, mummy dated c. 300 B.C. On the left, mummy dated c. 50 A.D. Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum. Copenhagen. Denmark.

Mortuary Mask of Khaemwaset 1069 B.C.

Miniature Mask for a Canopic bundle. New Kingdom, Egypt, 18th Dynasty. Reign of Amenhotep II ca. 14271400 B.C. Valley of the Kings, Tomb KV 51

Egypt, Cairo, Necklace that belonged to Princess Neferuptah, twelfth dynasty

1922 Hopi polychrome clay pottery jar from First Mesa on display at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff AZ

Indian chief figurine, tobacconist Indian, Erlangen, Middle Franconia, Bavaria, Germany, Europe

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