Ancient Cultures

The arfiact above is a Coptic textile fragment possibly dating from thr 6th to the 9th centuries CE.

About the Collection

In this exhibit, visitors can take a look back into ancient times through the museum's collection of artifacts from ancient cultures. From Egypt to China and in between, our collection spans over 2000 years of history. The majority of the artifacts in this exhibit are common everyday items that allowed ancient cultures to function in day-to-day life. The goal of this exhibit is to make these artifacts accessible to all and we hope that visitors will be able to enjoy this selection of artifacts. 

From the Cradle of Civilization: Ancient Mesopotamia

Above are two of the oldest artifacts in the museum collection. These are a pair of Sumerian cuneiform tablets which feature one of the world's earliest known writing systems. To learn more about the history of cuneiform please visit the Written History exhibit or click here to view the exhibit. Unfortunately, the text on these tablets has mostly worn off, however on the second tablet there is still some writing that is visible. It is located on the top of the front of the tablet.

Provenance:

Ex. Hussam Zurqieh (Zurqieh Dubai L.L.C.) antiquities dealer.

The Sands of Egypt

The artifact shown here is an ancient Egyptian ushabti, also known as a shabti. Ushabtis were used as part of ancient Egyptian funerary traditions in which they would be buried in the tombs of the deceased. According to their beliefs, when someone would enter the afterlife their ushabti would also come to life to perform day-to-day tasks for them. The Egyptians believed that the afterlife would also be similar to everyday life. Since agriculture was a crucial part of everyday life, ushabtis would be crafted to hold farming tools in their hands that they could use in the fields of the afterlife. To bring them to life as well as to instruct them on what to do after the owner's death, spells from the Book of the Dead would be inscribed on the lower portions of their bodies. 

The craftsmanship of an ushabti varied with some being heavily carved to feature even the most intricate details, while others were more plain and simple such as the one in the museum collection. This ushabti is made of faience, a quartz-based ceramic material that also gives the piece its turquoise-green color.

Provenance: 

Ex. Mark E. Reid, Ed. D (The Time Machine) collection.

References:

One type of artifact that is rarely encountered in the archaeological field is, of course, fabric and textiles. This is due to the organic nature of the materials used to make fabric which, over time, deteriorate faster than other materials and thus very few examples survive. There are exceptions as remnants of ancient textiles from Egypt, in particular from the Copts, can be found in the collections of many museums, collectors, and dealers. 

The Copts are an African religious group mainly from Egypt. They were known for being skilled weavers and would create textiles for a variety of uses. These uses included household items such as bed sheets, napkins, curtains, and tablecloths as well as clothing, commonly tunics. Tunics are a type of apparel that consists of a rectangular piece of cloth with sleeves and a hole at the top for the wearer's head. They are similar to shirts and could be fastened by a belt at the waist. 

The history of Coptic textiles is muddied by the fact that during the 18th century, many preserved examples were cut apart by sellers who would remove detailed and ornate pieces which, in total, would fetch higher prices rather than selling the entire garment. This need for higher revenues from unscrupulous antique dealers has led to our understanding of the history of Coptic textiles as well as our ability to accurately date said artifacts to become far more difficult. 

Because of this, certain aspects of surviving examples and fragments are used to date and document the history of these textiles. The main element used in dating is the style and designs of the examples that survive which can be used to make assumptions as to what period these pieces originated. The designs featured in these textiles show many influences on the cultures that were most influential in Egypt at the time. These cultures were the Greeks and Romans, the Byzantines, and the Muslims. 

It is truly amazing the fact that these textiles reflect the styles and evolution of the major influential cultures in Egyptian history. Yet with such a storied past, it is not surprising that many may wonder how these artifacts survived over a thousand years of human history. The answer is overall pretty simple. Many Coptic tunics and fabrics were buried with the dead in cemeteries and with the scolding desert climate, it allowed for minimal natural decay. Once many of these tombs were excavated by archaeologists, the remaining fabrics were able to be collected allowing people in the 21st century to be able to see what an Egyptian would have worn a millennium ago.

A Coptic child's tunic from the Brooklyn Museum. Image courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum.

Another example of a Coptic tunic from the Walters Art Museum. Image courtesy of the Walters Art Museum.

A Coptic tunic roundel from the Wilson Museum collection.

References:

Above is a Coptic tunic roundel possibly circa 6th to 9th centuries CE.

Provenance:

Ex. Youssef Mishriki (Sphinx Numismatics) collection.

Above is a large Coptic textile fragment, possibly from a tunic.

Provenance:

Ex. Turkish dealer Gunes Ege (antiquetheworld) collection.

From Comedy to Tragedy: Ancient Greece

This is a Greek Apulian ware kylix dating back to the Hellenistic period of ancient Greece circa the 4th century BCE.

A kylix is a type of drinking cup used mainly for wine. Like many other types of ancient Greek pottery, kylikes, the plural of kylix, would often feature scenes depicting famous battles or scenes of mythology and daily life. This particular example does not feature any sort of scenery. Instead, it is covered in a simple black glaze with a stamped cross featuring palmettes. 

This particular kylix is an example of Apulian vase painting. Apulian vase painting is considered to be a form of South Italian vase painting with Apulian works originating from Apulia, now known as Puglia, which is located on the "heel" of Italy. South Italian pottery was made by Greek colonists in what was known as the Magna Graecia or "Great Greece."

The image at the bottom left shows the location of Apulia, in relation to the rest of Italy, colored in red. Image courtesy Wikipedia.

Provenance: 

Ex. West London collection, later acquired by Simon Shipp (Den of Antiquity).

References: