Most ancient Egyptian pottery tends to be very utilitarian: rough vessels used for day to day purposes, the pots and pans of the land of the pharaohs. Occasionally, however, Egyptian potters produced beautifully decorated wares. Techniques such as slipping and polishing, incised decoration, modeling, and painted decoration (as in this example) produced Egypt’s fine wares. [...]
I am working on a year long project conducting a condition survey of the objects at the Penn Museum from Kourion, Cyprus, that were excavated under the direction of George McFadden. This may not sound all that glamorous, but it has some definite perks. In particular it means that I get to examine and photograph [...]
This round basket is from our African collection. It it made from twine and interlacing plant fibers. These materials are woven together to create the beautiful geometric patterns that cover the object. Penn Museum Object #AF1835A See this and other objects like it on Penn Museum’s Online Collection Database
This painting, named “A Pair of Doves” by Yi Yuanji, depicts two spotted doves (Streptopelia chinensis ) amid sprays of soft bamboo with a pile of rocks from which grows a small stunted tree. The time of year is most likely autumn or early winter. The signature of Yi Yuanji, 易元吉, is found on the face of [...]
Pearl shell disc with incised geometric patterns filled with red ochre. Such discs were worn by Australian Aboriginal men, suspended from belts, as pubic ornaments. They were also highly valued objects of exchange, traded hundreds of miles into the interior of Australia from the northwest coast, where they were made. The incised patterns are typical [...]
This barrel-shaped vessel dates to the Cypro-Archaic I period, between ca. 750-600 BCE, and is from the island of Cyprus. A fine example of the pottery style known as Bichrome IV, this unusual shape is decorated with a bold stylized bird flanked by rosette and lotus motifs painted in the black and brownish-red colors [...]
Of all of the Egyptian pharaohs, perhaps none can be said to be as productive as Ramses II. Ramses II was the pharaoh who would have one of the longest recorded reigns — sixty-seven years, would fight more battles, and would produce more statuary and construct more buildings than any other ruler of ancient Egypt. [...]
This drum, from Nigeria, is characteristic of the Yoruba people. The object is made from wood and displays intricate carvings of fish legged people. The stylized carving represents the king-god and his arm-supporters. The drum is large in size and is missing it’s hide drumhead. Penn Museum Object #29-93-39 See this and other objects [...]
Chief’s forehead ornament from the Marquesas Islands, consisting of a headband of woven coconut fiber, with a large disk of pearl shell overlaid with a carved sheet of sea turtle shell. The openwork carving includes six human faces and, at the top, two curved elements resembling the points of the large ceremonial fishhooks used to [...]
The Etruscans buried their dead in stone and terracotta sarcophagi that were often elaborately decorated. This carved Etruscan nenfro (a type of volcanic stone) sarcophagus is one of five in the Museum’s collection. The piece dates to the 3rd century BC and comes from a tomb excavated at the site of Civita Musarna, Italy in [...]
