Timeline by Anusha Patel

William: ca. 1981-1885 BCE

patelanusha421 — 2024-11-01 21:14:54 UTC

William is a hippopotamus made out of faience, which is a ceramic material made out of ground quartz. He has some beautiful lotuses painted on his body which symbolized regeneration and rebirth. The hippopotamus was a very important figure in Ancient Egypt. To the Egyptians this Hippo was one of the most dangerous animals in the world, as this creature was a hazard to small fishing boats and other river crafts. Three of 'Williams' legs had to be restored as they were purposely broken off to prevent him from harming the deceased.

The name "William" was given to this sculpture after it appeared in a story that was published in the British humor magazine Punch. It reports about a family that consults a color print of the Met’s hippo—which it calls "William"—as an oracle.

William came from Meir, Egypt in the 12th Dynasty

Height- 4 3/8''

Length- 7 7/8''

He currently resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City

Funery Banner of Lady Dai: ca. 180 BC

patelanusha421 — 2024-11-01 21:56:57 UTC

From the Nesting Coffins of Lady Dai, this banner is one of the oldest artworks in Ancient China, made of ink and colors on a silk banner. To have a funery banner you need to be considered very wealthy and higher in status. The T shaped banner consists of 4 registers. On the lowest central banner, you can see Lady Dai in an embroidered silk robe leaning on a staff. You can also see 5 servants next to her, two in front and three behind. In the register below the scene of Lady Dai, we see sacrificial funerary rituals taking place in a mourning hall. Tripod containers and vase-shaped vessels for offering food and wine stand in the foreground. There are also numerous Mourners seen with Lady Dai on this banner.

This Banner comes from Mawangolui Tomb 1, Changsha, Hunan Province, China

It was discovered in 1972

6ft 8 3/4in x 36 1/4in

Law Stele of Hammurabi: ca. 1760 BCE

patelanusha421 — 2024-12-11 05:41:23 UTC

The Law Stele of Hammurabi is one of the oldest known legal documents in Babylon, but it was excavated in Susa, Iran. The Stele stands at 7'4 5/8'' tall and it is made out of black Basalt, which is a type of rock that forms when lava or magma cools off very rapidly. It was taken as war looting in Babylon. The stele depicts Hammurabi facing the God of the Sun and receiving the laws from him. The laws on the Stele are all written in Hunei form. The laws were set as an early example of fundamental law and government regulation. Failure to abide by these laws resulted in punishments and fines. While the Stele covered 282 laws, some of them included, Economic provisions (such as prices, tariffs, and trade) family law, (such as marriage and divorce) criminal law (such as assault and theft) and civil law (such as slavery and debt). This Stele now resides in the Musee de Lourve in Paris, France.

Gold Death mask of Agamemnon: C. 1550-1500 BCE

patelanusha421 — 2024-12-11 05:51:23 UTC

From Grave Circle A in Mycenae, Greece, this death mask named after the famous king of ancient Mycenae, Agamemnon, is a great example of what was put on the deceased to preserve their memory. This mask was only 10 1/4 in, and was made out of hammered gold sheet metal. It was believed that putting on a death mask, specifically a gold one, would ward away evil spirits trying to get to the body and the gold was bright enough to drive away the evil spirits. These death masks are also connected to the death masks in Ancient Egypt. Each mask is personalized to each person, and is made to look like a self portrait, so the eyes, mouth, nose, etc. will be made to look exactly like the person who is going to wear this mask. The Mask of Agamemnon currently resides in the National Archeological Museum in Athens, Greece

Standing Vishnu: C. 880-1279

patelanusha421 — 2024-12-11 05:55:53 UTC

The Standing Vishnu is a standing sculpture with an arm on its thigh, once arm in front of the body and the other two arms to the side of the sculpture's body. The statue stands at 4'1/2'' tall and is a metalwork made out of copper alloy which is a mixture of copper with other elements like zinc, tin, nickel, or silicon. Vishnu is known as the preserver of the universe and this sculpture does a great job at showing that, especially with his four arms, with each one holding a different item, or doing something different than the others. The upper right hand holds the flaming wheel (chakra) symbolizing the purified, spiritualized mind, while the upper left hand holds the conch (sankha) with which Vishnu raises a deafening noise to terrify his enemies. The lower right hand is in the “fear not” (abhaya mudra) position. This sculpture is also seen wearing a crown called the kirita makuta. The objects that he is holding/wearing show his role as the protector and preserver of the universe. He currently resides at the Metropolitin Museum of Art in New York City, New York.

Doryphoros (Spear bearer): Ca. 450-440 BCE

patelanusha421 — 2024-12-11 22:51:27 UTC

Made by Polykleitos, standing at 6 '11'' tall, this sculpture of Doryphoros, AKA spear bearer, is one of the most well known Greek sculptures. White this sculpture was originally made out of bronze, there are now copies of the piece that are made fully out of marble and were made to look like Polukleotos perfect example of the male body. Polykleitos is known to be one of the best sculptors of male figures. Majority of his work being of male athletes with ideal body proportions. Polykleitos used very specific body proportions when creating this piece; for example, the ratio of head to body size is one to seven. The figure's head turned slightly to the right, the heavily-muscled but athletic figure of the Doryphoros is depicted standing in the instant that he steps forward from a static pose. The figure is placed in a Contrapposto stance, which is when most of the person's body weight is placed on one leg, making a slight curve in the torso, hips and shoulders. This piece currently resides in Museo Archaeological Nationale, in Naples, Italy.

Terme Boxer: Ca. 100 BCE

patelanusha421 — 2024-12-13 05:05:18 UTC

AKA known as the "seated boxer" or "boxer at rest" this figure was made with bronze with copper inlay, and was made by the amazing artist Apollonius. While the figure is fully naked, he does have boxing gloves which were from ancient Greece, and were made with strips of leather attached to a ring aroid his knuckles which were then fitted by a woolen padding. He was made to look like a mature athlete, which his long legs, thick neck, and long arms, which back then would be a very ideal type for sports, especially for boxers. He is also seen with a broken nose and cauliflower ears, which could be the result of previous fights, which are both very common in boxers. This piece currently resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York.

The Buddha: Ca. 5th Century

patelanusha421 — 2024-12-13 05:18:49 UTC

Originated from India, the Buddha is one of the most important figures in the Buddhism religion. The Buddha can either be a man, savior, or god, but they all have the same goal, to achieve enlightenment or nirvana. He stands at 85.5 cm tall and is made out of red standstone. Giving up the pleasures of the palace to seek the true purpose of life, Siddhartha first tried the path of severe asceticism, only to abandon it after six years as a futile exercise. He then sat down in yogic meditation beneath a bodhi tree until he achieved enlightenment. Which is why he is now known as the Buddha, AKA "Enlightened One". The Buddhas propose is to live a life of goof thoughts, good intentions and good living. The Buddha spent the remaining forty years of his life preaching his faith and making vast numbers of converts. Today the Buddha is the main god of Buddhism and there are an estimated 535 million Buddhisms in the world, making it the 4th largest religion in the world. He currently resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York.

Dome of The Rock: C. 687-692

patelanusha421 — 2024-12-13 05:35:54 UTC

The Dome of The Rock is a shrine in Jerusalem built by the Umayyad. The interior of the dome encloses and actual rock which was believed to be the location where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son by god. The original function of the dome is unknown, but it is now seen as the testement to the power and faith of Islam. The interior of the dome is decorated with marble, many mosaics and metal plaques. Although the mosaics are similar in technique to those found in Byzantine public buildings and churches, the Dome of the Rock’s mosaics exclude any representations of human or animal forms, instead featuring Arabic script and vegetal patterns intermixed with images of items such as jewels and crowns. For a long time the dome was used as a sacred place for religious practice in the Islamic religion. The dome is not considered a mosque but rather a shrine for pilgrims. The current dome was built back in 2013, but still resides in Jerusalem, Israel.