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This marine style octopus flask was crafted at a time between 1500-1450 BCE. It is a product of Minoan culture, and was created on the island of Crete. This flask was found in the city of Palaikastro, which is on the east coast of Crete. This object is ceramic and was hand-painted with a dark-colored clay slip. The flask is eleven inches tall. This piece reflects how ceramic art was very important to the Minoan culture at the time. The handle and base were not originally components of the flask. This object had a lasting impact on the culture of Crete and surrounding Mycenae; many attempted to recreate the design, but it was never recreated in same organic way this octopus was depicted. This organic, animated art style was highly characteristic of the Minoan art of the time. The flask was likely originally meant to hold important liquids. This piece is currently held at the Heraklion Archeological Museum in Crete.

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Offering 4 found at the north plaza in La Venta are part of a much larger group of offerings found in this clearly sacred location. The offering consists of seventeen figures made of stone. The figures stan in front of six celts. Two of the figures are made of jade, while all six celts are made of jade. Most of the other pieces are made of greenstone. This valuable stone tells us that the offering was a very important one. Ten of the figures surround the rest of the pieces of the offering, appearing to be witnesses to a larger act. While all of the figures were crafted in a similar style, they were almost certainly not crafted as a group. The figures may have even been crafted by different artists entirely. Some of the figures appear to have been reworked before becoming a part of this offering; reworking and repurposing objects was common practice in Olmec art.

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Phrasikleia is a Kore figure crafted sometime between 550 and 540 BC. This figure served as a funerary statue, and was created by Aristion of Paros. Phrasikleia–as noted by the inscription on the base of the statue–died young and unmarried. This makes her a perpetual maiden. Phrasikleia is an invaluable example of ancient Greek statue; this is because the statue was buried shortly after its creation, and was thereby preserved exceptionally well. Phrasikleia is made from Parian marble, and was colored in vibrant hues using polychromy. Gold foil and lead foil were used to decorate the statue further. Phrasikleia holds a lotus bud in her hand and wears a lotus flower crown. This is interesting, because these were commonly used funerary images in Egypt at the time. In this case, the Greeks borrowed a piece of the Egyptians’ culture. Phrasikleia is important, because she showcases the influence both kingdoms had at the time on each other.

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c. 190 BCE, The Classical Tradition--Reimagined

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This object is a statue of the Greek goddess Nike, goddess of victory. The statue was found at the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on the island of Samothrace, and had been crafted around the year 190 BCE, making this statue a representation of Hellenistic culture. In fact, this statue is a very significant piece of Hellenistic art. The statue of Nike is believed to be part of a much larger composition that consisted of many different art forms and materials. This composition could have possibly served as a monument dedicated to a naval victory. Victory monuments such as that played a huge role in royal propaganda that the Hellenistic dynasts used to keep the masses loyal and patriotic. This is enhanced by how engaging the statue is with the audience, since it can strike the viewer powerfully from all angles. The statue itself is made of two parts; the ship’s bow is made from a blue-gray Lartos marble, while the statue itself is made from white Parian marble. The statue of Nike stands to be 9 feet tall.

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The Funerary Banner of Lady Dai was discovered in 1972 in the Hunan Province of China. The banner dates back to 168 BCE, and was laid on the innermost of Lady Dai’s four coffins. The straps on top, however, suggest that the banner was hung first. This banner is one of the world’s oldest silk paintings that we still have access to today, and is the earliest known portrait in Chinese history. The banner is broken up into four different registers; the bottom represents the underworld, the next register depicts the activities occurring in the funeral hall following Lady Dai’s death. The second highest register depicts Lady Dai and her attendants, and the very highest register depicts the heavens. This work is important culturally, because it details a royal’s ascent from the living world into what the Chinese believed was the afterlife. This banner is important artistically, because it is an example of one of the earliest uses of scale and depth in ancient art.

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c. 161-180 CE, The Classical Tradition--Reimagined

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This piece is a statue of emperor Marcus Aurelius of Rome on top of his horse. The statue is made of bronze gilt. This piece was crafted at some point between 161 and 80 CE. There were many equestrian statues such as this one, depicting Roman emperors seated on their horses. However, this statue of Marcus Aurelius is the only one to have survived. This is because early Christians had mistaken this statue of Marcus Aurelius to be a statue of Constantine, the first Christian emperor. If the Christians had known this was a statue of Marcus Aurelius, it would have been melted down and the bronze would have been repurposed; that is what the Christians did to all other equestrian statues of Pagan emperors. Marcus Aurelius is shown to be modeled in the adlocutio pose, signifying that he is given an address. The statue is massive, standing about 11 feet and 6 inches tall. This piece is currently held at the Capitoline Museums in Rome, Italy.

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This piece is commonly referred to as “Vessel With a Mythological Scene.” It was created by a well-known, yet unnamed, prevalent Mayan artist. The piece is 5 ½ inches tall, 4 inches wide, and 4 3/16 inches deep. This vessel depicts the very important cultural and religious beliefs of the Mayan people. The Mayan rain god, Chahk, is depicted wielding an axe and a stone, actively readying himself for some sort of confrontation. A small serpent is emerging from his face, and a larger one slithers beneath him. The scene is thought to depict the birth of the baby jaguar figure that is reclining in the middle of the vessel. A skeletal looking death god is also depicted on the vessel. The presence of both the death god and rain god on this cup is thought to reveal the importance Mayans placed on death and rebirth. The death god is thought to represent the decay of organic beings. The rain god Chahk meeting him is thought to represent how rain leads to fertilization of decomposed material. This is highlighted by the birth of the baby jaguar.

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The Book of Durrow serves as one of the earliest Irish illuminated manuscripts. The book was named for the monastery that produced and housed it. The art depicted in the book is among the earliest of what would become tradition. Great effort was put into manufacturing manuscripts as beautiful as this one, because books were the main way Hiberno-Saxons were converting to Christianity at the time. Books were believed to hold great spiritual power; this gave the monastery motivation to make the pages of the Book of Durrow as entrancing as possible. The pages feature traditional Celtic patterns, as well as art and detailing that resembles metalwork. The four Evangelists are depicted in this manuscript; Matthew is represented by a man or angel, Mark is represented by a lion, Luke is represented by either a calf or a bull, and John is represented by an eagle. Certain pages in the book art dedicated solely to artistic visuals; this was to help aid the reader in prayer.

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This sculpture of a kneeling bodhisattva attendant was created in the late 7th century (sometime before 700 AD). The figure is made from unfired clay, which was mixed with some fibers and straw. The clay, fiber, and straw were all modeled over wooden armature. Color was added to the sculpture using polychromy and gilding. This figure only stands to be about 122 centimeters tall. The piece was found in Mogao Cave 328 in Dunhuang, China, in the Gansu province. The bodhisattva figure is currently being held at the Harvard Art Museums. Being that this sculpture is of a bodhisattva, it would have been very significant to the Buddhists who made it. Bodhisattvas were enlightened followers of the Buddha’s teachings who were able to reach nirvana but prolonged their ascent. They did this so they could stay behind and use their wisdom to guide others to reach enlightenment. Bodhisattvas are distinguishable because they are often depicted as heavily ornamented; this is to emphasis that they are still a part of the material world despite their enlightenment.