Vikings Coming to The British Museum

Here's the link to the much talked about Viking exhibition coming to The British Museum this Spring - http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/vikings.aspx

Another Fine Ongoing Exhibit at the Villa

An ongoing, long term exhibition and a personal favorite. For those with an interest in ancient glass, I recommend the Getty’s publications selection on the topic, which is extensive – http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/molten_color/index.html

Exhibits at The Getty Villa

As always, there are some great exhibitions ongoing at the Getty Villa in Malibu. Here’s one, running through March 3, 2013 –
http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/tiberius/

Antiquities for the Holidays

Hello Customers, Fans and Friends of Clio Ancient Art:

For Black Friday, Cyber Monday and all the other shopping days between now and the end of this year, we’ve loaded our website with many modestly priced fine quality antiquities suitable for holiday gift giving. These include  - 

·         * Several dozen Roman, Byzantine, early Islamic and other ancient and medieval coins of all types, all reasonably priced, including several excellent examples of the coinage of Constantine I. You may find them here: http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c18_p1.html

·         * At least 20 examples of Roman bronze brooches of several types. These are very personal antiquities that connect us to the individuals who originally wore them. Many are available for under $100. You may find these in our multi-page Ancient Jewelry section here: http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c19_p1.html

·          

      * Ancient oil lamps, including fine Roman redware, Byzantine, Hellenistic and early Islamic examples - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c14_p1.html

·          

      * Ancient glass vessels and objects, mostly Roman, in many shapes, styles, colors and prices - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c13_p1.html and here http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c24_p1.html

·         * As always, we offer fine quality Egyptian antiquities - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c2_p1.html

 

·         * Greek antiquities - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c3_p1.html

·         * Several pages of Roman antiquities - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c15_p1.html and here - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c16_p1.html and here - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c17_p1.html

·        *  And mixed Byzantine, Near Eastern, Medieval and other types of antiquities - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c26_p1.html – and here - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c21_p1.html

Many of the fine quality objects offered in these pages also very moderately priced for holiday gift giving or for treating yourself. Domestic shipping is free (see our website for international shipping costs).

As always, thanks for looking and please don’t hesitate to contact us should you have any questions.

Best wishes,

Chris M. Maupin
Clio Ancient Art and Antiquities
Chris Maupin Trust for Ancient Art
PO Box 7714
Wilmington, NC 28406
Phone: 704-293-3411
Web: http://www.clioancientart.com/

ANTIQUITY OF THE WEEK: Roman Bronze Arm, Hand and Purse of Mercury

 

http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i490.html

Exceptional Roman Bronze Arm, Hand & Purse of Mercury

CULTURE / REGION OF ORIGIN: Roman Britain

DATE: 2^nd-3^rd Century AD

DIMENSIONS: 4 cm (1.57 in.) long, 3.5 cm (1.38 in.) tall

DESCRIPTION: A beautifully preserved hollow cast bronze arm and hand holding a purse from a statuette of the Roman god Mercury (equivalent to the Greek god Hermes). The arm is bent at the elbow, in the god’s typical stance, and the detailed hand grasps a shepherds purse. Mercury was the patron god of financial gain and commerce, among others roles, and statuettes of the god were especially popular in the western European provinces of the Empire. Mercury’s Greek equivalent, Hermes, was also a protector of shepherds, so his purse, which resembles an animal skin, is referred to as a shepherds purse. Unlike most smaller statuette fragments, this example is just large enough to have come from a hollow cast statuette, probably from a household or military shrine. The point at which the arm has broken away from the statuette reveals its hollow inside. The surfaces are a very smooth dark green, almost black, with small areas of pale earthen highlighting.

PROVENANCE: Oxfordshire, UK metal detecting find, declared not treasure and legally exported.

COMPARISONS: See the UK Portable Antiquities Scheme online database, object SF-EBF-303, for a smaller hand and purse found in Suffolk, and the British Museum collections online, number 1851,0813.9 for a complete figurine of Mercury found in France, measuring about 6 inches tall, holding the purse in this same posture.

More Fine Antiquities Added to Our Website

http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i489.html

Hello Again:


Just a brief note to let you know we’ve added still more fine antiquities to our website.
Here are quick links to some of these –

* Exceptional Roman Bronze Arm, Hand & Purse of Mercury – http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i490.html

* Roman Bronze Bird Fibula (Brooch) with Blue Enamel – http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i489.html

* Mixed Group of 6 Roman Bronze Fibulae (Brooches) – http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i491.html

And many more…

We’ve also added several more excellent Roman coins, some from an exceptional hoard of Constantinian bronzes – http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c18_p1.html

As always, thanks for looking. We will be adding a variety of other objects to the website in December and we will update you at that time.

Best wishes,

Chris M. Maupin
Clio Ancient Art and Antiquities
Chris Maupin Trust for Ancient Art
PO Box 7714
Wilmington, NC 28406
Phone: 704-293-3411
Web: http://www.clioancientart.com/

Latest Clio News: Our Move is Complete, Website Uodated and More!

Hello Customers, Friends & Fans of Clio Ancient Art:

Most of you know that in early October we were planning our move from Charlotte, NC to the coastal City of Wilmington, NC. That move has been completed and we are happily settled in our wonderful new home. Wilmington is a modest sized city of just 110,000 people but thriving, with a lively performing arts scene, major film industry, sophisticated restaurant and food community, a strong academic base with a campus of the University of North Carolina, a large Historic District featuring remarkable homes and public buildings dating from our nation's Colonial Era, the Antebellum period and later, and, of course, magnificent beaches, offshore islands, inland waterways and other natural wonders.

Now that we've settled in, we've updated our website - http://www.clioancientart.com/ - with many fine antiquities. These include -

* An Egyptian writing tablet amulet in moss agate - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i462.html

* 2 small Egyptian Late Period faience ushabtis - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i472.html

and - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i473.html

* A superb Roman bronze zoomorphic brooch in the shape of a duck - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i476.html

* A small Roman bronze zoomorphic brooch in the shape of a stylized Celtic horse - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i474.html

* A Roman bronze zoomorphic brooch in the shape of a standing horse - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i475.html

* Many examples of Romano-British and Pre-Roman Celtic bronze fibulae, too numerous to list individually here but these may be viewed in our "Ancient Jewelry and Personal Adornment" section here - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c19_p1.html

* A great selection of Roman coins in bronze and silver. Far too numerous to list individually here, these are listed in both our Roman Antiquities pages and in our Ancient Coins section - http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c18_p1.html

Please note our new mailing address below.

Thank you and best wishes,

Chris M. Maupin
Clio Ancient Art and Antiquities
Chris Maupin Trust for Ancient Art
PO Box 7714
Wilmington, NC 28406
Phone (704) 293-3411
http://www.clioancientart.com/