Babylon 1947

This faded, tattered old picture is something more personal than our usual offerings here at Clio Ancient Art: A 1947 photo of my extended family, on my mother’s side, on a day trip to visit the ruins of Babylon. They are gathered around, and on, the guardian lion at the Ishtar Gate, carved from basalt and dating to the 6th Century BC.

Is it any wonder I pursued archaeology in academia and later became an antiquities dealer?

Much has changed in the world of archaeology, and in the legitimate antiquities trade, since this image was taken. The very scene where this was taken has undergone dramatic changes, none of them for the better, and not one person in this image is still alive. But whatever tumult this lion of Babylon has seen in the last few decades is certainly no worse than what had come before.

Perhaps this stone lion is a reminder to us of the valuable lessons history has to offer, and the beautiful handiwork of human creativity, if we are prepared to stop and examine the past without sectarian, nationalist, ethnic or religious prejudice.

CONSULTING SERVICES: AUTHENTICATING AND IDENTIFYING ANTIQUITIES

 

Education, authentication and identification are the key elements in building a collection of ancient art. We at Clio Ancient Art are often contacted by private owners, art museums and estate executors wishing to identify objects and learn if the they are genuine ancient artifacts, reproductions, fakes, forgeries, or tourist trinkets. As a service to antiquities collectors, owners and the museum community, Clio Ancient Art provides authentication and identification services. Click here to learn more about this service: http://www.clioancientart.com/id23.html.

Educating oneself is the key to avoiding disappointment upon learning that an “antiquity” one may have purchased is not ancient or genuine, as well as avoiding ethical or legal complications associated with ownership of an antiquity with questionable provenance. Our own links page — http://www.clioancientart.com/id15.html — is a good starting point in building a knowledge base about antiquities and ancient art.

It's Always Nice to Get Positive Press Coverage...

http://www.wilmingtonbiz.com/retail/2014/01/03/clio_debuts_in_wilmington/11225

Antiquity of the Week

Last week we began a new weekly series, “Antiquity of the Week” to focus on selected examples of ancient art currently on our website at http://www.clioancientart.com/index.html.

This week we offer a large mold-made Roman red slip ware flask from North Africa, dating to the 3rd Century AD. Here are the details –

Web link: http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i204.html

Roman Red Slip Ware Flask
CULTURE / REGION OF ORIGIN: Roman North Africa (modern Tunisia)
DATE: Circa 3rd Century CE
DIMENSIONS: 16 cm (5.25 in.) tall.

DESCRIPTION: A Roman North African red slip pottery flask with applied decoration. The fabric is very fine and the vessel thin walled and light. The piriform vessel is decorated with appliques, including nude male figures with drapery, possibly depicting Herakles, on either side, with a lion or panther running beneath. Other appliques include three tall palm branches, one to either side of the handle and one between the male figures, and above each male figure a victor’s crown bearing a pair of laurel sprays and central rosette. The handle is mould made and bears a detailed palm branch in relief along its entire height. A simple double moulding below the mouth defines the decorated area of the vessel’s body, and the mouth itself is flattened, projecting outward. The vessel rests on a small splayed foot. Reassembled from fragments but complete with no fill. An impressive example.

 

PROVENANCE: Ex Dr. Harley Baxter (1947-2009) Collection, Melbourne, Australia.

 

COMPARISONS: For a very closely related example, see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession number 74.51.383, part of the Cesnola Collection, reassembled from fragments: http://metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/74.51.383
Also, John W. Hayes, Roman Pottery in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, 1976, Number 96 (Plate 12). Also, Christies antiquities sale of 8 June, 2004 (Sale 1384, Lot 166) for another similar example, also reassembled from fragments, that brought $1,434.00.

 

As the demand for high quality Roman red slip pottery, frequently referred to as Samian Ware, outpaced the supply in the 1st Century AD, local imitation and variations sprang up at workshops all around the Mediterranean, especially in North Africa and Asia Minor. The North African examples, made in the Roman province that now corresponds to Tunisia, had the most longevity, with fine quality pottery and oil lamps continuing in production well into the 6th Century.

 

http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i204.html

 

Below is a 2nd Century AD example of locally produced red ware from western Asia Minor, gifted by our Trust for Ancient Art and now in the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California.

 

 

 

Fine quality red ware ceramic oil lamps are perhaps the best known output from the North African pottery workshops of the later Roman period. Many examples of 4th Century AD onwards display Christian symbolism. Here is an earlier example of the 2nd Century with an unusual motif of a dwarf or pygmy holding an amphora

 

http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i128.html

Our Move is Complete

We've completed our long planned move from Charlotte, NC to the historic coastal City of Wilmington, NC. We will begin posting again in just a couple of days. Meanwhile, visit us at:
http://www.clioancientart.com/

Antiquity of the Week: Roman Marble Fragmentary Eros Sculpture

Beginning this week we will post detailed information once each week about one particular antiquity from our inventory.

We begin with a Roman marble fragmentary Eros sculpture.
 


Here are the basic facts on this piece -

CULTURE / REGION OF ORIGIN: Roman Empire, possibly western Asia Minor
DATE:1st or 2nd Century CE
DIMENSIONS: 17.2 cm. (6.7 in.) long, 10.8 cm (4.2 in.) wide, 8 cm (3.1 in.) deep

DESCRIPTION:A Roman marble relief fragment of Eros, probably from an architectural relief or sarcophagus panel. the figure’s posture is such that it may be reclining, hovering in a larger scene or stepping downward or forward with the left leg. The figure is preserved from just above the navel to the ankles, with the legs parted, one leg bent at the knee more than the other. The figure has the rounded belly and chubby legs typical of Roman Erotes. The preserved surfaces are smooth, with only a few chips. The marble is medium grained with a faintly tan or beige patina, with a few small areas of darker brown and gray discoloration. The bottom section has received two drill holes in the modern period for mounting on a display stand. The flat back side, possibly the interior wall of the sarcophagus panel, has slight remains of a modern adhesive material.

PROVENANCE: Ex UK Private collection

PUBLISHED: Bonhams, ANTIQUITIES, 1 May, 2008, London, Page 206, illustrated in color on Page 207

The posture and general style of this partially preserved figure of Eros suggest it was once part of a much larger sculpted panel composition on a marble sarcophagus. The particular crystalline characteristics of the marble suggest either an Italian origin or stone from western Asia Minor. From the lateFirst Century BCE onward Roman sarcophagai were frequently adorned all around with deep relief figural sculpture. Some examples are noted in the COMPARISONS below.


COMPARISONS: For related examples of Erotes from sarcophagai, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston website (www.mfa.org/collections/search), Accession Number 76.719 for a fragment of a sarcophagus with Erotes playing with a Silenos mask, one of them having fallen on his back. Also, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston website (www.mfa.org/collections/search, Accession Number 1973.480, with 2 Erotes or Amorini in very high relief, dated 200-225 CE.

 Note that this item will likely be consigned to a one year exhibit of Mediterranean antiquities at the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, NC, beginning Spring of 2014.

We're Having a Moving Sale!

Hello Clio Customers, Friends and Fans:

We’re moving! And we’re having a big sale to help make that happen, with 25% off absolutely everything on our website, including antiquities, ancient coins, books and art. 

Sale prices take effect 12:01 AM Eastern Time Friday, September 27 and remain in effect until 11:59 PM Tuesday, October 1. We’ve never offered discounts this substantial before and it’s doubtful we ever will again so take advantage of this 5 day sale. it’s a rare opportunity to acquire fine antiquities and ancient coins, research books and documentation and related works of art at exceptional prices. Pay with PayPal and your 25% discount will be refunded almost immediately. 

Many of you will recall that in July of 2012 we moved from the San Francisco Bay area across country to Charlotte, NC. Now we’re completing our coast-to-coast transition by continuing just a few hours east to the North Carolina coastal City of Wilmington, with its beautiful beaches and historic old town full of charming colonial era and antebellum buildings There’s a view of historic Wilmington seen from the Cape Fear River at the bottom of this page. 

Thank you for visiting our website. We hope you’ll find something you like at these remarkable discounted prices. Of course, we’ll be adding plenty of new fine quality antiquities in time for the holidays. 

Best Wishes,

Chris M. Maupin
Clio Ancient Art and Antiquities
Chris Maupin Trust for Ancient Art
http://www.clioancientart.com/

Final Appeal: Trust for Ancient Art Crowd Funding Campaign

Just 4 days left in the Trust for Ancient Art crowd funding campaign. Now is the time to give, if you can.

We’ve achieved so much in 3 years, gifting 33 examples of Near Eastern and Egyptian bronzes, Cypriot and Greek ceramics, Roman oil lamps and glass vessels and early Byzantine art to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California in 2010, further donations to the Crocker of superb Egyptian funerary art, Greek bronze and Roman limestone sculpture in 2012, fine Greek and Roman ceramics to the University of Missouri at Kansas City, Department of Classical Studies in 2012 and the recent gift of  a fine 14th Century English ceramic floor tile to the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Please help us continue this work next year by giving a gift of any size today in US, Canadian or UK funds. Here is the Campaign's Indiegogo web page: http://igg.me/at/Ancient-Art-Education-for-All/x/4074220. It includes:

* Detailed descriptions of what the Trust does and why, accomplishments and plans for the future.
* A short video appeal.
* Photo gallery of every antiquity the Trust has gifted to date.
* Descriptions of "perks" we're offering to donors at various levels.

All funds will be directed toward acquiring and dispersing appropriate examples of ancient art to carefully selected public museums and university collections. The Trust is not a registered non-profit, tax exempt. Gifts are not tax deductible.

Please visit the Trust's page on Indiegogo, read through it, view the objects we've gifted, watch the short video. We hope you’ll find it worthy of a contribution. Thank you!

http://igg.me/at/Ancient-Art-Education-for-All/x/4074220

Megarian Ware: Transition and Continuity from the Hellenistic to Roman Worlds

Two closely related pottery bowls on our website typify a type of pottery marking the all important transition from the later Hellenistic period to the time of Roman dominance, even before the formal establishment of Rome’s empire, of the broader Mediterranean world. Both bowls are examples of what is generally termed Megarian Ware, a type of pottery produced mainly in Greece and Asia Minor but also with imitative production centers in Italy. Megarian Ware, the name of which comes from 19th Century finds of this pottery near Megara in Greece, offers important insights into the transition from the ubiquitous red figure “painted” pottery of the classical era to the red slip pottery that would come to dominate the Mediterranean world for centuries to come.

LINK: http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i202.html

LINK: http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i203.html

Both are thin walled bowls and made from fine hard pink clay. One is covered in a deep orange-red slip, the other in a chocolate brown slip. But the most important distinguishing characteristic of both, and of most Megarian Ware, is that they are mold-made, resulting in an all-over pattern of rosettes, laurel leaves and repeating geometric shapes in high relief.

Megarian Wares were distributed over a very wide swath of the Mediterranean and beyond. An example in the British Museum was probably made in Cyprus but was found at Salamanca in Spain: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=392743&partId=1&searchText=Megarian+Ware+Bowl&images=true&page=1

The different color slips used on these bowls is an important factor in understanding the role of pottery in the Hellenistic to Roman Imperial transition. Establishment of a relatively uniform Hellenistic material culture across a great geographic expanse, from South Italy and Sicily in the west to Syria and Mesopotamia in the east, led to the decline of the classical red figure pottery tradition. Potters turned to the mass production technique of stamping out vessels in molds. Some of these featured complex mythological scenes, such as this example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York: http://metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/254263. Dark brown and black slips on Megarian vessels offered a smooth transition from the attractive black slip wares of the later Classical era. A great deal of black to dark brown slip Megarian Ware pottery has been found in Republic level excavations in Rome and its colonies. The orange-red slip examples eventually came to dominate the market and provided the immediate inspiration, at least in color and fabric, for the fine, hard Roman red wares developed in Gaul and Northern Italy in the late Republic. These would “spin off” countless imitations at workshops all over the Mediterranean world, finally concluding with the red ware of Roman North Africa in the 3rd, 4th and 5th Centuries.

Here is an example formerly with our Trust for Ancient Art, gifted in 2010 to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA, produced in Asia Minor in the 2nd half of the 1st Century AD:

And here is a 3rd Century example currently on our website of later North African red ware:

                                       LINK:http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i204.html

Trust for Ancient Art Crowdfunding Campaign: 12 Days Remaining…

We have 12 days remaining (ending September 24, 2013, 11:59 pm Pacific Time) in our Trust for Ancient Art funding campaign and we’ve raised $417 of our $2,000 goal. We are using the “Flexible Funding” model, meaning the campaign will receive all funds raised even if it does not reach its goal.

If you’ve been following the progress of our campaign on Indiegogo, you are aware of the work our Trust has done, gifting over 40 examples of ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Cypriot and Near Eastern art to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California, the University of Missouri at Kansas City Classical Studies Program, and the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, North Carolina. But all the antiquities set aside in 2010 for gifting have now been disbursed, and with the demands of Clio Ancient Art and family, we can no longer fund the Trust entirely out of pocket. Hence, the phenomenon of “crowdfunding”, using the Indiegogo website ( http://igg.me/at/Ancient-Art-Education-for-All/x/4074220 ).

Here is the Campaign’s Indiegogo web page: http://igg.me/at/Ancient-Art-Education-for-All/x/4074220. It includes:
* Detailed descriptions of what the Trust does and why, what it has accomplished so far, and plans for the future.
* Periodic updates.
* Short video appeal.
* Photo gallery of every antiquity the Trust has gifted to date.
* Descriptions of “perks” we’re offering to donors at various levels.

All funds will be directed toward acquiring and dispersing appropriate examples of ancient art to carefully selected public museums and university collections. The Trust is not a registered non-profit, tax exempt. Gifts are not tax deductible. For some donors this may mean it makes more sense to give a modest gift of $30-50, rather than a large gift. We accept gifts of any amount in US, Canadian, Australian and UK currencies. Only 2 donors have so far claimed their ancient Roman coin “perks” so we have plenty of these left if you wish to donate $30 or more (31 Canadian Dollars or 19 British Pounds).

Please visit the Trust’s page on Indiegogo, read through it, view the objects we’ve gifted, watch the short video. No doubt you will find this effort worthy of a contribution.

Meanwhile, a few exciting developments to share with you –

* We are in discussions with the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, NC about initiating a temporary gallery of ancient Mediterranean art sometime next year. This would utilize the Mint’s existing collection of antiquities (long hidden in storage and never shared with the public), gifts from our own Clio Ancient Art, and from private owners. As the Trust has now gifted all its holdings and is working to acquire more (part of the idea behind this campaign), Clio will offer several high quality items for display in this exhibit, part of a 1-year loan.

* We have completed the process of working with the Mint Museum to properly classify and catalog the 120 or so antiquities so long hidden in their basement, allowing us to assist them in possibly purging the collection of less display-worthy items.

* We have identified a source for several quality Trust acquisitions for next year. Once this campaign has ended we will share more details on this point with donors to the campaign.

* Finally, curatorial staff at the Mint Museum continue to share their enthusiasm for the 14th Century Medieval English floor tile gifted to them by the Trust last month. They recognize it as an important addition, filling a major gap in their extensive holdings of English ceramic materials.

Thanks again to everyone who has made a gift so far. Your perks will mail out the last week of September. And please continue to share information about our campaign to all who might be interested, at http://igg.me/at/Ancient-Art-Education-for-All/x/4074220

Chris M. Maupin
Clio Ancient Art and Antiquities
Chris Maupin Trust for Ancient Art
http://www.clioancientart.com/

Roman limestone figure of a partially draped youth with pomegranate and bird, 1st-2nd Century, gifted to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA, May, 2012

Latest News from the Trust for Ancient Art

19 days remaining in the Trust for Ancient Art's crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo. We.ve so far raised $417 of our $2,000 goal (about 21%).

We have some exciting developments to tell you about.

* We are in discussions with the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, NC about initiating a temporary gallery of ancient Mediterranean art sometime next year. This would utilize the Mint's existing collection of antiquities (long hidden in storage and never shared with the public), gifts from our own Clio Ancient Art, and from private owners. As the Trust has now gifted all its holdings and is working to acquire more (part of the idea behind this campaign), Clio will offer several high quality items for display in this exhibit, part of a 1-year loan.

* We have completed the process of working with the Mint Museum to properly classify and catalog the 120 or so antiquities so long hidden in their basement, allowing us to assist them in possibly purging the collection of less display-worthy items.

* We have identified a source for several quality Trust acquisitions for next year. Once this campaign has ended we will share more details on this point.

* Finally, curatorial staff at the Mint Museum continue to share their enthusiasm for the 14th Century Medieval English floor tile gifted to them by the Trust last month. They recognize it as an important addition, filling a major gap in their extensive holdings of English ceramic materials.

Thanks again to everyone who has made a gift so far. Your perks will mail out the last week of September. And please continue to share information information about our campaign to all who might be interested, at http://igg.me/at/Ancient-Art-Education-for-All/x/4074220

Follow Clio on All Sorts of Social Netowrking Sites...

Clio is on all sorts of social networking sites –

Our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Clio-Ancient-Art-Antiquities/247378388593?fref=ts
 
Do you Tweet? Here’s our Twitter page: https://twitter.com/Kourionis
 
LinkedIn member? follow us at: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/chris-maupin/23/400/612
 
We’re also on Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/clioancientart
 
Join our new Yahoo Group at: clioancientart-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
 
Of course we’re also on Redditt: http://www.reddit.com/r/ANTIQUITIES/
 
We have a great Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/99038255@N06/
 
And last but not least, Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/clioancientart/boards/

Labor Day Sale!

 Hello Clio Customers, Friends & Fans:

Weekend Only Flash Sale -- Beginning this Friday, August 30, 12:00 Noon Eastern Standard Time, ending Monday, September 2, 12:00 Noon Eastern Standard Time.

15% OFF ALL ANTIQUITIES
10% OFF ALL ANCIENT COINS
10% OFF EVERYTHING IN OUR BOOKS, CATALOGS, FRAMED & UNFRAMED ART SECTION

Website: http://www.clioancientart.com/

We've also added several nice ancient coins to our ancient coins section (21 lots to choose from: http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/c18_p1.html), as well as several nice Roman and Viking small bronze objects (fibulae and rings). Here are some links -
http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i449.html
http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i445.html
http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i452.html
http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i454.html
http://www.clioancientart.com/catalog/i453.html

Finally, we have just 26 days left in our crowd funding campaign for the Ancient Art Trust and we've raised only $417 of our $2,000 target. If you can, please consider a gift of any amount to help us continue our important work with museums and universities: http://igg.me/at/Ancient-Art-Education-for-All/x/4074220

Thanks again for looking and best wishes,

Chris M. Maupin
Clio Ancient Art and Antiquities
Chris Maupin Trust for Ancient Art

Donated to the Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC

Today our Trust for Ancient Art gifted this superb 14th Century English glazed ceramic floor tile to the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, North Carolina. It fills a large gap in their collections of English ceramics and ceramic history in general.

 Our Trust for Ancient Art has donated over 40 examples of ancient Egyptian, Greek & Roman art to museums and universities. Help us continue this important work: http://igg.me/at/Ancient-Art-Education-for-All/x/4074220