The Ancient World

This pig statuette was produced in Boeotia, a region of ancient Greece known for its prolific output of terracotta figurines. The pig was a common sacrificial offering, and figurines may have served as votive offerings in place of live sacrifices. Examples of pig-shaped children's toys and sippy cups are also known.

5th century BCE (Archaic)

Earrings with cow heads

Greek, 5th century BCE (Late Archaic-Classical)

This depiction of a young man with abundant curly hair combines features of both Egyptian and Greek sculpture of the Hellenistic Period (331-30 BCE). Egyptian elements include the use of the hard, dark stone, the precision with which the eyes have been carved, and the use of contrasting surfaces, with the highly polished face set off by the unpolished curls. The delicate modeling of the cheeks, slightly parted lips, and hairstyle are characteristic of Greek naturalism. The complete statue probably represented the owner striding and wearing a short Egyptian kilt.

2nd century BCE-early 1st century CE (Ptolemaic-Roman)

Pendants in the shape of rams' heads

Punic, 5th-4th century BCE

Miniature glass pendants in a large variety of colors and shapes can be found all over the Mediterranean world and were probably produced in several glassmaking centers, including Carthage, Iran, and Syria. These objects were distributed through the expansive, widespread trade routes established by the Phoenicians. Rams were considered fertility symbols, and this pendant likely also had a protective function and was intended to ward off evil.

Pendant Necklace

Greek, discovered in modern day Ukraine

late 2nd century BCE (Hellenistic)

During the 26th Dynasty, the Greeks established merchant colonies in Egypt. Faience workshops in these towns produced goods for the local population, as well as products in an Egyptian style for export. 

1. Rhyton with griffins

2. Flask with running figures and lotus

3. Lotus bowl

3rd-2nd century BCE (Ptolemaic)

This outstanding example of jewelry from the 1st-century BCE Greek colonies in the Black Sea region is purported to belong to the famed Olbia treasure, named for the town in present-day Ukraine in which it was discovered at the end of the 19th century. Using multiple colors and sizes of gemstones became common in Greek jewelry making after the conquest of the East by Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE), which opened up new trade routes and introduced the Greeks to Oriental styles.

Bronze newborn puppy

332-30 BC

Of Greek or Roman craftsmanship, discovered in Rome