The rearing cobra, also known as the uraeus, was a central symbol of kingship and rule in Ptolemaic Egypt. Cobra figures were dedicated as votives to the goddess Wadjet; they were also incorporated into architecture and furniture as well as royal headpieces. This...
The Etruscan votive statuette of a woman illustrates the Etruscan taste for the archaic style, which lingered in some parts of Etruria (mainly in the north and northeast) long after it had gone out of fashion in central and southern areas.The large head and face,...
Roman bronze statuette of a seated Hermes/Mercury portrays the god in heroic nudity save for a riding cloak on his left shoulder and back. His torso and head turn slightly to the left. The naturalistic style of the figure represents the artistic tradition that...
This funerary portrait is of a woman from the city of Palmyra. Palmyra is well-known for this style of relief portraiture, and there are over 3,000 of these funerary reliefs existing today. These reliefs were most likely mass-produced in local workshops, and the final...
Octavian, grandnephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar, was hailed as the bringer of peace and prosperity to the Roman world after a long period of civil and military strife. In 27 BCE, the Roman Senate conferred on him the honorary title of Augustus. Soon after, a...
