Italy

Italy through a curated selection of ancient artifacts, traditional artworks, and historical treasures.

Ancient pottery vessel with sculpted human faces, horses, and angelic figures

Canosa Askos (270-200 BCE)

Antiquities Europe Italy Sculpture

Rather than relying on a single image or a painted scene, this large Canosa askos builds its meaning through a combination of vessel form, colour, and applied figures.

Fata Morgana sculpture representing a mythical female figure, c. 1572

Fata Morgana (c. 1572 CE)

Antiquities Europe Italy Sculpture

The Fata Morgana masterfully captures the illusion of soft flesh and fluid movement in unyielding stone, inviting viewers to circle it and appreciate its dynamic form from every perspective.

Apollo and Daphne mythological sculpture showing Daphne transforming into a laurel tree

Apollo and Daphne (c. 1700 CE)

Antiquities Europe Italy Sculpture

Soldani captures the dramatic instant when the nymph Daphne transforms into a laurel tree to escape the pursuing god Apollo, offering viewers an immediate insight into Baroque art's obsession with movement, metamorphosis, and fleeting moments.

Horn of Saint Blaise medieval reliquary, 12th century

Horn of Saint Blaise (1100–1200 CE)

Antiquities Ceremonial & Religious Europe Italy

This exquisite horn, dating back to the 12th century, showcases intricate carvings that blend cultural influences from across the Mediterranean, inviting us to explore a world of historical fusion where Arab craftsmanship met Christian relic veneration.

Terpsichore Lyran sculpture from Italy, 1816

Terpsichore Lyran (1816 CE)

Antiquities Europe Italy Sculpture

This life-size lyran embodies serene grace and ideal beauty, portraying Terpsichore—one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology—as the inspiring force behind lyric poetry.