Ancient Sculptures

Various sculptural figures resembling ancient ancestral representations, made from materials like stone and terracotta.

Lawolo' a masculine protective statue, used to scare an enemy from Nias, Indonesia. 19th century calcified stone

Model of a baker kneading dough and forming loaves. Ancient Egyptian

Fukusuke: The Little Person Raconteur. Tōchinsai (Japan, active 19th century). Japan, mid-19th century. Costumes; Accessories. Wood with inlays

Pre-Colombian feminine statuette, from Ecuador. Dated 300 AD

Terracotta vase fragment with griffin 8th-6th century B.C. East Greek, Lydian Relief fragment in the form of a griffin head.. Terracotta vase fragment with griffin 252613 East Greek, Lydian, Terracotta vase fragment with griffin, 8th6th century B.C., Terracotta, W. 2 5/8 in. (6.65 cm.) L. 3 3/8 in. (8.55 cm.). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift of The American Society for the Excavation of Sardis, 1926 (26.199.16)

Terracotta statue of the Goddess of Thirteen Snakes, artefact from Mexico. Zapotec Civilization, classical period, 200-900.

Dwarf 7th-8th century China. Dwarf. China. 7th-8th century. Earthenware. Tang dynasty (618-907). Tomb Pottery

Standing Four-Armed Vishnu 5th century India (Uttar Pradesh). Standing Four-Armed Vishnu. India (Uttar Pradesh). 5th century. Terracotta. Gupta period. Sculpture

Limestone statuette of a warrior holding a shield late 6th or early 5th century B.C. Cypriot Warrior in Assyrian helmet, loose tunic and Egyptian loin-cloth.. Limestone statuette of a warrior holding a shield 242117

Statuette of Harpokrates. Unknown

Limestone bust of a flute-player ca. 575-550 B.C. Cypriot Representations of flute players are found in both sanctuaries and tombs in Cyprus. They would play music eternally for the divinity or the deceased. The strap around the head of the player, a phorbeia, held the flute in place and prevented the cheeks from swelling, thus helping to control the breath. Egyptian influence is evident in the smooth wig. The piece may have formed a pair with 74.51.2509.. Limestone bust of a flute-player 242068

Mayan ceramic anthropomorphic pot, depicting an old man seated with his hands upon his knees. 600-900 AD Xcambo, Yucatan, Mexico

Ceramics depicting the stages of life (3rd c. AD). Adult age. Moche or Mochica Art. PERU. LAMBAYEQUE. Sipn. Royal Tombs of Sipn Museum.

Limestone temple boy 1st quarter fo the 4th century B.C. Cypriot The boy sits on a roughly elliptical plinth. He is dressed in a short-sleeved chiton and a garment above it that reaches his ankles. With his right hand, he holds a cock that rests on the boy's left leg and foot. He wears a chain with pendants, signet rings, etc. across his chest. He has a round, flat face and wears rings on his ear lobes. Grooves mark his short hair.. Limestone temple boy 242307

Terracotta Aztec figure.

Puppet (Si GaleGale)

Human Figure. Western Iran, circa 800-650 B.C.. Sculpture. Bronze, cast

Male head ca. 9th century B.C. Iran. Male head 325736

Lime plaster statue from 'Ain Ghazal, Jordan. Dated 7200 BC

The Goddess Chunda (). India, Bihar, Patna District, circa 700. Sculpture. Copper alloy

Prehistory, Iraq. Terracotta goddess statue, 6th millennium b.C. From Tell es-Sawwan.

Head of a Male Haniwa Figure with Headdress 5th-7th century Japan. Head of a Male Haniwa Figure with Headdress. Japan. 5th-7th century. Earthenware. Sculpture

Ceramic seated figure from Mexico. Dated 4th Century BC

Female attendant mid-7th century China. Female attendant. China. mid-7th century. Earthenware with pigment. Tang dynasty (618-907). Tomb Pottery

Figure Pendant 11th-16th century Veraguas (). Figure Pendant 309983

Figurine Whistle of a Man with Trumpet. Northern Guatemala or Southeastern Mexico, Maya, 600-900 CE. Ceramics. Ceramic with post-fire pigment

Head of warrior, from Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque, Mexico

Standing Male Figure, 3rd-6th century, 11 1/4 x 4 1/2 x 5 in. (28.6 x 11.43 x 12.7 cm), Earthenware, pigment, Mexico, 3rd-6th century

Fragment of Demon (Rakshasha) 14th-15th century() Indonesia (Java). Fragment of Demon (Rakshasha) 38915

Seated MaleFigure. Artist: Unknown

Sarcophagus mask; around 1069-332 BC ; 3rd transition period-ny (-1069-00-00--332-00-00);fragments of sarcophagus, masks, wig (iconogr.), Faces

Portrait Vessel of a Man with a Cleft Lip and Tattoos 100 BCE-500 CE North Coast. Ceramic and pigment . Moche

Mask, tragic female Roman. Mask, tragic female. Roman. Terracotta. Terracottas

Dancing Dwarf, 100 BC-AD 100. Italy (), Roman, 1st Century BC-1st Century. Bronze; overall: 4.4 cm (1 3/4 in.).

Mask, 19th century, 14 1/2 x 8 in. (36.83 x 20.32 cm), Wood, Côte d'Ivoire, 19th century, These masks represent the Guro conception of idealized feminine beauty. The woman depicted has filed teeth, scarification marks, modestly downcast eyes and an elaborate hairdo. Masks like these were used in Poro society dances to provide an example of how a proper Guro woman behaves. Today they are primarily used in village entertainment festivals.

Dancer ". Terracotta. China, Tang dynasty. Paris, Cernuschi museum. 72691-56 Dance, dancing, dancer, standing, tang dynasty, arm movement, statuette, terracotta, back view

Netsuke in the shape of man squatting by a large container. Kazuyuki (fl. ca 1840 - 1880), sculptor

Warrior with Trophy Head A.D. 300-800 Chiriquí, Aguas Buenas Phase A tradition of figural sculpture that emphasized militarism and warriors is thought to have developed in Costa Rica out of an increased competition for resources among a growing population. Presented in a rigid posture atop a pedestal base, this helmeted warrior holds a trophy head in his right hand and a short ax in his left. Elbows to his side and forearms thrust forward, he seems to be presenting them to the viewer, perhaps in tribute, perhaps as a warning. The figure wears a belt with panels above each hip. His conical helmet is of a type commonly seen in images of elite warriors in ancient Central America and Colombia. He wears a pendant in the shape of four curly-tailed animals lined up side-by-side, similar to gold ornaments known from the region (see MMA 66.196.36). There is evidence that gold was considered a protective substance in Precolumbian Central America and that warriors wore their gold ornaments into b

Male Figure, by 1931. Execution Totokro Master. Wood; overall: 44.8 x 9.3 x 7.7 cm (17 5/8 x 3 11/16 x 3 1/16 in.).

Cherub () 17th century () Colonial After the destruction of Tenochtitlan in 1521, the Spaniards proceeded to build a new capital for what would become the Viceroyalty of New Spain on the ruins of the Aztec imperial city. It was a statement of triumph over Aztec military and religious power. Materials gained from demolishing Aztec temples and cutting up sculptures of deities were made into building blocks for new construction, or they were carved into forms suitable for Catholic churches and private mansions. Indians were baptized by the thousands and images of earlier gods were replaced with Christian icons. Indian craftsmen, working for Spanish patrons, were instructed in Christian subject matter and artistic traditions.This small sculpture fragment exhibits European stylistic features in the treatment of the plump face and curly hair. The eyes and mouth in particular differ from Aztec practice, when they were usually shown as hollow recesses accommodating inlays.. Cherub () 30765

Prehistoric. God-dolly, 2900 BC. Near Burtle, Somerset. ENGLAND.

Ceramics depicting the stages of life (3rd c. AD). Old age. Moche or Mochica Art. PERU. LAMBAYEQUE. Sipn. Royal Tombs of Sipn Museum.

Statuette of a Warrior 499 BCE-400 BCE Umbria. Bronze .

Half figure, early 20th century, 6 1/4 × 2 × 2 in. (15.88 × 5.08 × 5.08 cm) (with base), Wood, Democratic Republic of Congo, 20th century

Statuette of Ares 5th century B.C. Etruscan Fighting warrior.. Statuette of Ares 246430

Cupid holding a candle socket 16th century possibly Italian, Padua. Cupid holding a candle socket. possibly Italian, Padua. 16th century. Bronze. Sculpture-Bronze

A Clay Artifact From A Maya Civilization At Copan Ruins; Copan, Honduras

GONZALEZ, JULIO. ESCULTOR ESPAÑOL. BARCELONA 1876-1942. " CABEZA DE MONTSERRAT ", BRONCE. COLECCION ANNA-EVA BERGMAN. ANTIBES.

Funerary urn with depiction of the solar god Kinich Ahau. Detail of the image of the deceased on the cover. Painted ceramic. Maya culture. Late Classic Period (600-900 AD). Mesoamerica. Maya area. Museum of the Americas. Madrid, Spain.

Dancer ". Terracotta. China, Tang dynasty. Paris, Cernuschi museum. 72679-8 Chinese art, dancer, tang dynasty, man, statuette, terracotta

Standing Figure of a Mother and Child 100 BCE-250 CE Jalisco. Ceramic and pigment . Jalisco

Maldives: Tantric deity in coral stone, possibly c. 9th century CE (National Museum, Male)

Standing Warrior ca. 500 B.C.-A.D. 300 Indonesia (Java). Standing Warrior 54289

Figure of a supernatural creature ca. 8th-7th century B.C. Iran This fragmentary creature carved in the round combines the head of a man, the forelegs of a kneeling horse, the body of a fish, and large wings. Details such as the fish scales and textured hair and beard are finely modeled, and deep cavities were carved for inlay in the eyes, eyebrows, and wing feathers, all of which are now missing. A tenon is preserved at the bottom, suggesting it was originally attached to a frame, perhaps as part of a piece of furniture.In 1947 a treasure was reputedly found at a mound near the village of Ziwiye in northwestern Iran. Objects attributed to Ziwiye are stylistically similar to Assyrian art of the eighth and seventh centuries B.C. as well as to the art of contemporary Syria, Urartu, and Scythia. Many objects of gold, silver, bronze, ivory, and ceramic have since appeared on the antiquities market with the provenance of Ziwiye, although there is no way to verify this identification.. Figur

Mexico City Mexico Museum Of Anthropology Chicomecoatl Aztec Goddess Of Food And Vegetation

Figurine Whistle of a Seated Male, Possibly a Ruler. Northern Guatemala or Southeastern Mexico, Maya, 600-900 CE. Ceramics. Ceramic with post-fire pigment

Royal Seat (Lupona): Female Caryatid 19th century Buli Master, possibly Ngongo ya Chintu (Hemba, ca. 1810-1870) Democratic Republic of Congo In many cultures throughout the southeastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congoindeed, throughout much of Africathe seats of leaders are important symbols of power and authority. Among the Luba, rank and title are indicated by the progressive ascension to more prestigious forms of seating, beginning with simple woven mats and proceeding onto animal pelts, clay thrones, and finally, sculpted wooden thrones such as this example from the Museum's collection. Stools figure prominently in the rigorous rites of royal investiture as Luba kings and chiefs accede to power and acquire the appropriate symbols of office. The main function of the stool was not to serve as a seat, but rather as a receptacle for the chief's spirit. Stools are such powerful emblems of a chief's power and identity that they were often kept secretly in a village different

Campania Caserta Capua Museo Campano76. Hutzel, Max 1960-1990 Medieval: Byzantine architectural fragments; parchment fragments with miniatures (12th century) from Montecassino; painted wooden crucifix (13th century); Carolingian crucifixes; Bishop's miter (11th century) of gold and silver damask; fresco (13th century). Post-medieval: Architecture (15th century). Formerly the Palazzo Antignano. Unusual Catalan/Moorish-style portal; Paintings on panel and canvas (15th-18th centuries); marble intarsia (16th century); marble sculpture: busts of Christ and Mary (17th century); sculpture of saints in marble and in wood (15th century); painted and gilded sculpture in wood; marble grave sculpture (16th century); sarcophagus with allegorical carvings; gold reliquary "Rosa d'Oro"; crucifix made of elephant tusk Specific Location: Pianterreno Antiquities: Italic sculpture (seated women holding babies); inscription. Photo campaign #1: 533 photos. Roman relief and sculpture; cinerary urns; Greek an

Statue of pelota player or warrior, from Mexico

Painted bust of King Akhenaten 18th Dynasty, Amarna, 1340 BC

Stone head of a Man 1456 A.D. Painted.

Mexico.Mexico city.National Museum of Antropology.Tajin culture.Ceramic head of the God of Storms.

Fragment of the figurine;Cyprus, collection of ancient art, Wroniarski, Mazurek, Dar

Mochica stirrup-spout vessel of a male figure with a jaguar's head, 3rd century. Artist: Unknown

"Venus of Malta". Headless standing female statuette. Clay. Height: 13 cm. From Hagar Qim, Malta. Temple Period (3600 BC to 2500 BC). National Museum of Archaeology. Valletta. Malta.

Stirrup Portrait Vessel Moche IV, Peru C. 200-550 A.D. Pre-Columbian Collection of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville, Florida

Mother and Child Figure, late 1800s-early 1900s. Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Yombe, late 19th-early 20th century. Wood and paint; overall: 64.7 cm (25 1/2 in.).

Ceramic Head Vessel. Culture: Toltec (). Dimensions: H. 12 1/16 x W. 9 1/8 x D. 9 5/8 in. (30.7 x 23.2 x 24.5 cm). Date: 10th-13th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Iranian vase in the form of a musician. Dated 13th Century

Head of a Bodhisattva, 1100s. China, reportedly from Henan province, Northern Song (960-1127) to Jin dynasty (1115-1234). Wood; overall: 86.4 x 40.6 x 38.1 cm (34 x 16 x 15 in.).

Olmec Colossal Head, National Museum Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Mexico City, Mexico, Central America

Whistle with Figural Scene

Maya culture Mexican stone mask. Artist: Unknown

Lazio Latina Sezze Antiquarium Comunale96. Hutzel, Max 1960-1990 German-born photographer and scholar Max Hutzel (1911-1988) photographed in Italy from the early 1960s until his death. The result of this project, referred to by Hutzel as Foto Arte Minore, is thorough documentation of art historical development in Italy up to the 18th century, including objects of the Etruscans and the Romans, as well as early Medieval, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque monuments. Images are organized by geographic region in Italy, then by province, city, site complex and monument.

Dog (Clay Figurine) 1000-300 BC Japan This stylized, hollow figurine (dog) of a female is representative of the type found in the Thoku region of northern Honshu and made during the Late and Final Jmon periods. The most arresting aspect of these figurines is their large bisected coffeebean-shaped eyes. While the true meaning of this convention remains unknown, the eyes are often likened to the snow goggles worn by the Inuit of North America. The nose and mouth are merely suggested by small holes. A crown sits atop the figure's head, and her body is decorated with deeply incised lines and areas impressed with cord-markings that may represent tattoos. Other, more complete examples of this type have fleshy torsos with bare navels above thick, sturdy legs. The emphasis on the pointed breasts and generous hips of these figures suggests that they functioned as fertility symbols.. Dog (Clay Figurine). Japan. 1000-300 BC. Earthenware with cord-marked and incised decoration (Thoku region)

Theatre Mask, Archaeological Museum, Antalya, Turkey, Antalya, Turkey, Asia

Lisbon, Portugal. Pre Columbian figure showing interior human body parts. (Editorial Use Only)

Seated Male Figure, c. 200. Mexico, Jalisco, Zacatecas Style. Earthenware with colored slips; overall: 40.6 x 23.1 x 19.5 cm (16 x 9 1/8 x 7 11/16 in.).

Figure, 900-300 BCE, 4 1/2 x 2 1/4 x 3/4 in. (11.43 x 5.72 x 1.91 cm), Jade, Mexico, 9th-3rd century BCE, Each jade object made by the artists of the Olmec culture is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Jade was hard to find, even harder to carve, and it was valued above all other materials by this ancient Mexican civilization. This figure depicts a were-jaguar, a supernatural being with both human and jaguar aspects. The were-jaguar was a powerful spirit who controlled rain and storms, as well as the growth of maize, the staple crop of the Olmec. This sculpture, used for ritual purposes, would have been carved for a member of the elite. The head is unusually large in proportion to the body, as it was believed to be the focus of spiritual force. The jaguar elements are most visible in the face, and include a short broad nose and a strongly down-turned mouth with heavy, feline lips.

Wooden sculpture from Gabon, Africa.

Immortal Liu Hai astride a toad 18th-19th century China. Immortal Liu Hai astride a toad. China. 18th-19th century. Bamboo. Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Sculpture

Head and Torso of a Male. Egypt, Ptolemaic Period - Roman Period (332 BCE - 337 CE). Sculpture. Terracotta

Figure 9th-11th century () Hawai'i This enigmatic head and torso is one of a group of eleven stone figures discovered in 1894 on Necker Island, a barren outcrop of rock 300 miles northwest of the Hawai'ian islands. Necker was once inhabited by Polynesian settlers who built temple platforms and carved stone figures from the local basaltic rock, but the island was abandoned several centuries prior to European contact. Therefore, the precise identity and function of the Necker Island figures, which may date from about A.D.1000, is unknown. Because they were found in association with temple platforms, it is likely that the figures are images of gods or deified ancestors that were used during religious ceremonies.. Figure 310175

Drum, about 1950, 26 3/16 x 19 1/8 x 16 in. (66.52 x 48.58 x 40.64 cm), Wood, animal skin, string, pigments, Ghana, 20th century, Akan communities in southern Ghana have a tradition in which popular bands compete in instrumental, choral, and dance performances. The master drum, sometimes identified as the 'mother of the group,' is the musical and visual focal point of each band. The gesture of the woman, her finger pointing to her eye, may refer to the proverb, 'If you can hear, can you not also see''emphasizing the importance of using all the senses. Or it may be a warning to the other bands: 'Wait and see who is going to win.'

Figurine (2nd c. BC). Mesopotamian art. Sculpture on bronze. SYRIA. ALEPPO. Aleppo. Archaeological Museum. Proc: SYRIA. Ras Shamra. Ugarit.

Mask, 20th century, 32 3/16 x 25 9/16 x 19 1/4 in. (81.76 x 64.93 x 48.9 cm), Plant fibers, pigment, feathers, pith, wood, Papua New Guinea, 20th century, Originally a strong red, now faded to a refined pink, this rare mask was created by an artist of the Sulka of New Britain, an island northwest of Australia. Although its large ears resemble those of an animal, the mask depicts a human, likely an older man. The addition of a python, an important ritual animal shown curving along the back of the head and out through the mouth, demonstrates spiritual strength. Likely used in initiation ceremonies, the mask is made of strips of springy pith from the inside of a reed, sewn down onto a basketry frame. This unusual construction technique is not employed anywhere else in the Pacific Islands. Ritual designs and physical details were then painted on the exterior of the mask in a variety of natural pigments. When in use, the mask would have had a fringe of plant fiber along the bottom, to hide

Ornamental mask 6th-7th century Moche (Loma Negra) This mask was reportedly found at Loma Negra, an ancient cemetery near Cerro Vicús in the Piura Valley of Peru. Hundreds of tombs were discovered there containing large numbers of burial offerings, including works in gold, silver, and copper. Powerful Moche rulers were interred there in the third century, when their control reached almost as far as Ecuador. The mask, made of silvered copper, has small tabs along the back edges that were once fastened to a larger object, probably a crescent-shaped headdress also made of metal. The relief face was raised by hammering a copper sheet over a special form, and the separately shaped headdressnow fragmentaryand the numerous small round danglesnow mostly missingwere originally attached by means of the tabs and staples. Many centuries of burial and exposure to salts in the soil caused corrosion products to form, covering the once brilliant, thin silver surface. "Half-eyes" and the fanged mou

Human statue, 2nd century BC National Archaeological Museum, Taranto, Apulia, Taranto, Apulia, Italy, Europe

Head of a Giant. Culture: Thailand. Dimensions: H. 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm). Date: 13th-14th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Abruzzo L'Aquila Albe S. Pietro. Hutzel, Max 1960-1990 Medieval: Architecture (11th, 15-16th century), architectural sculpture (12th century), sculpture (12th century, housed in L'Aquila, Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo since 1956-57 restorations), mosaic (12th century), also re-used Roman capitals and columns Sculpture, coins, pottery, minor arts, architecture Post-medieval: Portal, ciborium German-born photographer and scholar Max Hutzel (1911-1988) photographed in Italy from the early 1960s until his death. The result of this project, referred to by Hutzel as Foto Arte Minore, is thorough documentation of art historical development in Italy up to the 18th century, including objects of the Etruscans and the Romans, as well as early Medieval, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque monuments. Images are organized by geographic region in Italy, then by province, city, site complex and monument.

Cheekpiece from a Horse Bit. Iran, Luristan bronzes, circa 1000-650 B.C.. Tools and Equipment; horse trappings. Bronze

Mexico.Mexico city.National Museum of Antropology.Olmec culture.Terracotta figurines representing a boy.

Bronze head of a griffin third quarter of the 7th century B.C. Greek From OlympiaBronze cauldrons set on tripods or conical stands were among the most spectacular votive gifts dedicated in Greek sanctuaries from the eighth to the sixth centuries B.C. Cast-bronze griffins' heads often decorated the cauldron rims; they projected outward from the shoulder of the vessel on long necks made of hammered or cast bronze. Some of the dedicated cauldrons were colossal. The Greek historian Herodotus describes one made for King Kroisos of Lydia that could hold 2,700 gallons and another dedicated on the island of Samos that was supported by huge kneeling figures. Over six hundred bronze griffins' heads from cauldrons are known today; most have been found at the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia or at that of Hera on Samos. This enormous head is one of the finest.. Bronze head of a griffin. Greek. third quarter of the 7th century B.C.. Bronze. Bronzes

ESTATUILLA GUANCHE. Location: ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM. LAS PALMAS. GRAN CANARIA. SPAIN.

Head, 1st-5th century, 7 x 7 3/4 in. (17.8 x 19.7 cm), Ceramic, chapopote, Mexico, 1st-5th century

Xipe Totec. 500-650. Clay sculpture. Teotihuacan culture. Sculpture. MEXICO. FEDERAL DISTRICT. Mexico City. National Museum of Anthropology. Proc: MEXICO. PUEBLA.

Puppet (Wayang Klitik) ofJaranan

Mountain-shaped vessel where human sacrifices are made. Ceramics. Moche culture (100 BC-700 AD). Peru. Museum of the Americas. Madrid, Spain.

Terra cotta group holding two itiphallic figures and two female figures with child. Karta Wangungan, Kuningan district, West Java province,.

Clay votive statue of female uterus from sanctuary in Veii, Rome Province

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