Author Archives: khaled gamelyan

Bronze coin-shaped charmFrom ChinaQing dynasty, 19th century ADFighting evilTouch the animation button to see the traditional process of casting East Asian coins.The scene on this coin-shaped charm refers back to a legend of the Song dynasty in the twelfth century. The legend tells how the Emperor Huizong (reigned 1101-25)had a vision of the God ofContinue reading “Bronze coin shaped charm From China”

Bronze axe-headLuristan culture10th-7th centuries BCFrom Luristan, western IranThe style of this cast bronze axe-head links it to the region of Luristan in western Iran. Bronzes of this kind were plundered from the cemeteries and shrines of the area from the 1920s onwards. Many of the graves were rich in bronzes, and even the poorest maleContinue reading “Bronze axe-head”

Brick of Nebuchadnezzar IINeo-Babylonian dynasty,about 604-561 BC,From Babylon,southern IraqFollowing the defeat of the Assyrian Empire by the Medes and Babylonians between 614 – 609 BC, Nebuchadnezzar II rebuilt the city of Babylon on a grand scale. It has been estimated that 15 million baked bricks were used in the construction of official buildings. The bricksContinue reading “Brick of Nebuchadnezzar II”

Babylonian brickBabylon (Kasr)about 8th-7th century BCThis was one of a number of items collected by Sir Robert Ker Porter (1777-1842)a Scottish artist, traveller and diplomat. Ker Porter was appointed historical painter to the Russian Tsar in 1804 and recorded and drew ruins at Persepolis and other sites in Iran for the Russian Academy of FineContinue reading “Babylonian brick”

Urartian, around 700 BCFrom Toprakkale (ancient Rusahinili), eastern Anatolia (modern Turkey)A fine bronze from a throneThis bronze figure of a winged bull with a human torso and head was part of the decoration of a throne. It would have supported the arm-rest or seat. It comes from Toprakkale (ancient Rusahinili) in Urartu, the site ofContinue reading “Winged bull with human torso and head and clasped hands”

The Other SphinxThe ancient Egyptians imagined one constellation as a Sphinx. Today,we call itCentaurussince the Greeks later imagined that it was a Centaur.There is a zodiac in the temple of Esne in Latopolis that shows this illustration of a Sphinx in place of the constellation Centaurus.This suggests that there was a Sphinx constellation before theContinue reading “The Other Sphinx”