Visual Worlds

Spade-shaped schematic female figure

2800 BCE

Statue of Idi

2200 BCE

Idi was a high official of the Sixth Dynasty, possibly identical with a vizier of the name name buried at Abydos. The animation of his face's large features and the minimal modeling of his body are elements of a style that originated late in the Fifth Dynasty at Saqqara and spread during the Sixth Dynasty to the provinces.

Head of a male

1600 BCE

This head, broken at the neck, depicts a beardless male figure. The male is in an attentive pose: his forehead is furrowed, his eyes are large and heavily rimmed, his nostrils appear to be flared, and his ears are raised and protrude from the sides of his head. Thin lips are shown in a slight smile. A carved herringbone pattern gives texture to his cap-like hairdo. Unusually, this male is depicted beardless

Terracotta jug

1190 BCE

Course ware terracotta jug without decoration.

Bottle with caiman

800 BCE

This bottle in the shape of an animal head was crafted by a Cupisnique artist between 1000 and 800 B.C. on the North Coast of Peru. Similar objects have been reportedly found in the Tembladera cemetery or other nearby sites in the middle section of the Jequetepeque Valley (Alva 1986, Lapiner 1976).

Stirrup-spout bottle with mouse

760 BCE

Despite its pervasiveness, the spread of Chavín art throughout much of Peru in the first millennia B.C. did not preclude the expression, proliferation, and production of local and regional art styles in some highland and coastal communities.

Vessel in the Shape of a Female

500 BCE

This vessel, of indeterminate function, is a rare early example of female cult imagery. The form is not typical of early India and relates more closely to West Asian prototypes.

Disk Brooch

589

The dress of Frankish women generally consisted of a tunic, cinched by a belt from which hung an array of pendants. A wrap or cloak went over the tunic. Shoes and hosiery, fastened with buckles, covered the legs. Earrings, necklaces, and hairpins completed the ensemble.

Glass "Claw" Beaker

600

Most Frankish glass vessels display simple shapes and minimal color, with decoration generally limited to trails applied to the glass. Among a number of innovative forms, the most elaborate was the claw beaker, decorated with protruding clawlike forms.

Belt Buckle

600

Belts were important features of early medieval dress. Not only did they serve the practical function of holding weapons and tools, but their fittings, which could vary in terms of material, decoration, and size, were also highly visible indicators of rank and status. Iron buckles, many imposing in size, were worn by both men and women.

Plaque with Saint John the Evangelist

909

The Evangelist, accompanied by his symbol, the eagle, displays the opening text of his gospel. The deep layering of his tunic folds adds life and vigor to the Classical drapery forms. The roughly lettered inscription on the upper border, added at an early date, translates: "The word of John soars to heaven like an eagle."

Ring

1109

This ring consists of multiple elements soldered together to create a rich, micro-architectural form, a feature typical of Ottonian goldsmithing. The varied techniques used in its fabrication resulted in areas of granulation, swabbed and twisted wires, and ribbons of bent wire, as well as cast, punched, and chased elements. At the center is a flowerlike ornament in cloisonné enamel.

Tray with women and boys on a garden terrace

1279

Scenes of harmonious families featuring women and frolicking children—expressions of the hope for and joy of having offspring—began to appear in Chinese decorative art in the late Song dynasty (960–1279).