Head of Aphaia Sphinx (c.490 BCE)
This marble head belonged to a sphinx that crowned the roof of the Temple of Aphaia on Aegina, probably at one of the temple’s corners, and is usually dated to about 500–490 BCE.
Greece
Objects from the cradle of Western civilization, featuring pottery, sculptures, and other creations from Ancient Greece. These artifacts highlight the Greeks’ contributions to art, philosophy, and democracy during their golden age.
Kylix of Douris (c.470 BCE)
This Attic red-figure kylix, attributed to Douris and dated to about 470 BCE, turns a drinking vessel into a carefully staged image of human encounter.
Bull’s Head Rhyton (340–320 BCE)
Made in Apulia around 340–320 BCE, this bull’s head rhyton shows how inventive South Italian pottery could be in the late Classical period. The vessel combines an animal-shaped form with red-figure decoration and added paint.
Regilla Votive Marble Bull (160–170 CE)
Carved in Pentelic marble around AD 160–170, this powerful life-size bull once formed part of the great nymphaeum dedicated by Appia Annia Regilla in the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia.
Grave Stele of Mnesarete (400 BCE)
Few grave monuments from classical Athens are as quietly affecting as the Grave Stele of Mnesarete. Carved in Attica around 380 BCE, the relief shows a young woman seated in composed sorrow.
Female Headed Jug (c. 650 BCE)
This female headed jug, shaped as a richly adorned, is one of those vessels that immediately blurs the boundary between useful object and sculpture. Made around 350 BCE in Attica and later found at Tarquinia in Etruria.
Votive Club of Eukrateia (c. 0-199 BCE)
Small in scale but unusually rich in meaning, this bronze votive club brings together myth, religion, and a named human presence. Cast as a miniature version of the weapon most closely associated with Herakles.
Dove-Bearer from Callatis (c.200-400 BCE)
This Tanagra-type terracotta statuette from ancient Callatis offers a refined image of female presence in the Hellenistic world. The figure stands quietly yet elegantly, wrapped in abundant drapery, with a small dove perched on her right shoulder.
Nike Figurine (c. 300-200 BCE)
This Nike figurine presents the Greek goddess of victory in a form that is both graceful and slightly unusual. She appears as a winged nude figure with the body of an ephebe.
Bronze Poppy Capsule (c.100-300 BCE)
A small bronze poppy capsule becomes unexpectedly vivid through its inscription, which preserves the name of the woman who dedicated it: Nikasimacha.
Greek Kore Marble Statue (c.525-500 BCE)
This East Greek kore still conveys a striking sense of poise and ritual presence. Carved around 525–500 BCE, the figure represents a young woman standing frontally, her weight balanced on both legs, with the right leg slightly advanced.
Head of a Ptolemaic Queen (3rd century BCE)
The Head of a Ptolemaic Queen is one of those fragments that still carries enormous presence despite its incomplete state. Carved in marble in the 3rd century BCE, this larger-than-life female head was found in the theatre of Ephesus.