Wood

One of the oldest materials used by humankind, essential for construction, sculpture, and artistic expression across cultures and time periods.

Potala Guanyin Buddhist sculpture from China, 900s CE

Potala Guanyin (900s CE)

Antiquities Asia China Sculpture

Carved from precious sandalwood during China's tumultuous Five Dynasties period in the 900s, this portable figure depicts Potala Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion (known as Avalokiteshvara in Sanskrit), who resides on the mythical Mount Potala.

Portable Altar of Countess Gertrude Romanesque liturgical object, c. 1045

Portable Altar of Countess Gertrude (c. 1045 CE)

Antiquities Ceremonial & Religious Europe Germany

The portable altar was commissioned by Countess Gertrude of Brunswick, a member of the powerful Guelph dynasty, one of the most influential noble families in the medieval Holy Roman Empire.

Arm Reliquary of the Apostles medieval Christian reliquary, c. 1190

Arm Reliquary of the Apostles (c. 1190 CE)

Antiquities Ceremonial & Religious Europe Germany

Shaped like a clothed human forearm with an outstretched right hand in a gesture of blessing, this reliquary was designed to house a sacred relic—in this case, a portion of an unidentified saint’s arm bone.

Senufo sculpture of a nursing woman with child, 1800s–1900s

Nursing Woman with Child (1800s-1900s CE)

Antiquities Africa Sculpture Senufo

A nursing woman bends toward her child, offering nourishment and protection. Yet beneath this seemingly simple motif lies a dense network of ideas about ancestry, knowledge, and what it means to become fully human within Senufo society in West Africa.

Ceremonial chair or throne from the 1800s

Ceremonial Chair or Throne (1800s CE)

Antiquities Africa Angola Ceremonial & Religious

This elaborate wooden chairserved as a powerful symbol of authority for Chokwe supreme chiefs. What makes this particular example especially remarkable is its extraordinary decoration: over 40 intricately carved figures arranged in complex scenes.

Japanese gigaku mask of a Persian boy in painted wood, 710–794 CE

Gigaku Mask of Persian Boy (710–794 CE)

Antiquities Asia Ceremonial & Religious Japan

Crafted from lightweight paulownia wood and vividly painted, this gigaku mask represents the youthful son of a widowed Persian elder in gigaku, a lively form of masked dance drama imported from continental Asia.

Egyptian painted wood model figure of a man, Middle Kingdom

Model Figure of a Man (1980–1801 BCE)

Antiquities Africa Ceremonial & Religious Egyptian

Despite its modest size, the figure of a man offers a vivid entry point into Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife, where images were not merely symbolic but actively participated in ensuring eternal existence.

Pellet crossbow for a child, 1600–1650, wooden stock and bow mechanism

Pellet Crossbow for a Child (1600-1650 CE)

Antiquities Armour and Weapons Europe Germany

This small pellet crossbow, designed to launch pebbles or pellets rather than arrows, offers a glimpse into a world where playtime intertwined with practical skills.