{"title":"10.26 Ancient Treasures","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"pre-columbian-honduran-marble-bowl","title":"Pre-Columbian Honduran Marble Bowl","description":"This exceptionally rare Ulúa marble bowl displays the lustrous white glow of the stone vessels that are native to the Ulúa river valley region of Honduras. With its alluring fluid flow of relief carvings around the entirety of its form, it exemplifies the remarkable ability of the ancient craftsmen. Ulúa artisans used simple stone tools to create magnificent marble bowls such as this one, and their work is highly valued for its intricacy and almost translucent quality.\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nMarble bowls represent a fascinating feat of both skill and artistry. Delicate carving of intricate intricate scrollwork and elaborate cosmological designs, they represent a long tradition of Mesoamerican lapidary art. The scrollwork on this vessel almost certainly depicts the rain deity of the region, Chac. Other marble vessels show representations of the wind and sun deities - these depictions were closely linked with the local agriculture, and such bowls likely would once have been used by ancient priests and nobility to petition the mercy of deities. They have also been found in royal tombs, suggesting they were used for offerings to one's ancestors.\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThe people of the Ulúa valley were the only known people in the New World to create such marble pieces, as the stone was delicate and difficult to work with only rudimentary early tools. A unique vessel such as this one would have been highly prized locally and traded as an exotic import.\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nAltogether less than 200 of these marble vessels are known to still exist today. So few have been found that it has been suggested they were possibly manufactured by a single artist and his family within a couple of generations. Today, these vessels are highly valued and are among the most sought-after items from the Pre-Columbian period. Only a handful exist outside of museums and very few become available for acquisition.\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n800-1000 AD\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n3 1\/4\" high x 4\" diameter","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42100094468231,"sku":"29-9700","price":44500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/29-9700_1_44e412ee-69f9-4540-a32f-d1d093555d48.png?v=1736064116"},{"product_id":"oriented-nose-cone-chondrite-meteorite","title":"Oriented Nose Cone Chondrite Meteorite","description":"This oriented Chondrite meteorite, found in the Sahara Desert in North West Africa, is a stony (non-metallic) meteorite. This extraterrestrial wonder is known as a nose cone meteorite, which means that it oriented itself in a perfectly balanced trajectory as it fell through earth's atmosphere and developed a smooth surface resembling a nose. As a result, this specimen also exhibits “creeping,” or molten material streaming away from the cone. As phenomenal in composition as it is in appearance, this meteorite is comprised of the dust and grains of primitive asteroids found all over the solar system, including crystals of olivine, nickel, and feldspar. These particles are accreted, or pulled to the meteor's growing mass by gravitation. They frequently include rounded mineral particles known as chondrules, which can be seen in cross-sections of these amazing otherworldly treasures. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n5 18\" wide x 5 1\/4\" deep x 5\" high\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It is estimated that between 85.7% and 86.2% of all meteorites discovered on earth have been chondrites, and many are discovered in the Sahara Desert as the desert's elevated temperatures perfectly preserve these specimens. Though plentiful on the planet, they are extremely important to the study of the origins and age of the Solar System, and indeed, the origins of life.","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41239112220807,"sku":"30-1863","price":24850.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/30-1863_1_3b6f5955-8522-4060-832e-e6205555cc2c.png?v=1712737918"},{"product_id":"ancient-roman-stele-relief-fragment","title":"Ancient Roman Stele Relief Fragment","description":"Ancient Roman Stele Relief Fragment\u003cbr\u003e Circa 1st Century BCE–1st Century CE \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This rare marble stele relief fragment is a remarkable artifact of ancient history. Dating to the 1st century BCE–1st century CE, it offers a direct connection to the grandeur of ancient Rome. Carved in fine white marble, possibly of Greek origin, this fragment exemplifies the Roman refinement of Classical Greek ideals. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A stele is a carved stone slab used in antiquity, typically as a commemorative monument, often decorated with relief figures or inscriptions. The quality and refined execution of this example suggest that it once belonged to an individual of considerable social standing. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The female figure is shown mid-motion, with her right hand gracefully crossing the body to her left shoulder, suggestive of adjusting or clasping a himation cloak. Her left arm extends downward, grasping the drapery in a composed gesture. The stele fragment retains the full expressive power of Roman classicism seen in the fluid contrapposto stance and elegant drapery lines that emphasize movement and femininity. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A statue in a similar pose, \u003cem\u003eThe Small Herculaneum Woman\u003c\/em\u003e, housed in the Skulpturensammlung of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen in Dresden, Germany, dates to the 1st century BCE. Unearthed in 1711 at the ancient city of Herculaneum, it represents one of the earliest significant discoveries at the site. Similar stylistic choices can also be found in a pentelic marble stele from the Archaeological Museum in Elefsina. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e On stand: 37 1\/2 high x 23 1\/2\" wide x 12\" deep \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, New York\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43894037905543,"sku":"32-1243","price":74500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-1243_1_fcc311aa-64e9-4243-8548-5c354730cc8d.png?v=1785328384"},{"product_id":"ancient-egyptian-blue-painted-vase","title":"Ancient Egyptian Blue-Painted Vase","description":"Ancient Egyptian Blue-Painted Vase\u003cbr\u003e Amarna Period, circa 1348-1320 BCE \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Egyptian pottery seldom survives at this scale with its painted decoration intact. This monumental vessel dates to circa 1348-1320 BCE, placing it within the Amarna Period, the brief and fascinating chapter of the New Kingdom presided over by the pharaoh Akhenaten. It belongs to the tradition known as blue-painted ware, the most prestigious ceramic production of the era, prized for its vivid pigments and its lively naturalism. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The pigment concentrates on the neck and shoulder, leaving the swelling body of the jar in the warm buff of the fired clay. A band of stylized persea leaves in blue and red encircles the neck, framed above and below by horizontal registers and a row of fine dark triangles. On the shoulder, an \u003cem\u003eankh\u003c\/em\u003e in blue occupies the center, flanked by \u003cem\u003euas\u003c\/em\u003e sceptres bound with lotus blossoms and papyrus umbels, their forms drawn with the fluid, curving line that distinguishes Amarna draftsmanship from the rigid conventions that preceded it. Together these motifs signify life, dominion and regeneration. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Beyond its beauty, the history of this vase is equally compelling. Akhenaten redirected Egyptian worship toward the sun-disc of the Aten and moved his court to a purpose-built capital at Akhetaten, present-day Amarna. The artistic revolution that accompanied this shift favored naturalism and movement over the static formality of earlier dynasties. Within a generation of his death, the capital stood empty, the cult of the Aten was suppressed, and much of its art was dismantled or effaced, which accounts for the scarcity of surviving works. A closely related jar resides in the Brooklyn Museum, though this vessel measures approximately 43 percent larger, and a considerably smaller comparable example is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e On stand: 24 1\/2\" high x 13\" diameter \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Private collection\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, London\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45400585339015,"sku":"32-2916","price":74500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-2916_1_55dad210-6cc0-4584-ac51-4e476f3b2123.png?v=1788470549"},{"product_id":"ancient-egyptian-alabaster-vase-1","title":"Ancient Egyptian Alabaster Vase","description":"Ancient Egyptian Bullet-Form Alabaster Vase\u003cbr\u003e Third Intermediate Period, circa 945–715 BCE \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This monumental Egyptian alabaster vase is among the largest known examples of its type. It is a rare vessel perfected by Egyptian craftsmen during the Third Intermediate Period, circa 945–715 BCE and among the most coveted objects of the ancient world. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The vase's elongated, bullet-shaped form rises with commanding proportion, its surface luminous and translucent, swirling with warm honey and cream tones veined with white mineral striations. The narrow mouth and tapering body exemplify the refined control of Egyptian craftsmen, who favored alabaster above other materials for its translucency and prestige—a clear signal that this vessel was created for someone, or a ceremony, of exceptional standing. Its near-perfect condition, after nearly 3,000 years, is nothing short of extraordinary. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e According to Professor Olivier Perdu at the Collège de France, a leading specialist in Egypt's Third Intermediate Period, vessels of this type held wine for ceremonies appeasing the Eye of Re, the fearsome Egyptian solar god. Beyond Egypt's borders, they were coveted across the ancient world—Phoenician elites used them as funerary urns, Assyrian kings repurposed them for precious oil and Roman aristocrats incorporated them into burial rites. Even Publius Claudius Pulcher, born into one of Rome's most prominent republican families, was interred with one, though his example measured only 26 inches. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Standing over 27\" high, it surpasses every recorded parallel, including the vase of Osorkon I from the royal necropolis at Tanis (23 1\/2\" high) and a celebrated example in the Louvre (6 1\/2\" high). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds only a fragment. Intact examples of this scale are extraordinarily rare outside museum collections. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Without base: 25\" high x 15\" diameter\u003cbr\u003e With base: 27 1\/2\" high x 15\" diameter \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, UK, acquired 1950s\u003cbr\u003e Private collection\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, Paris\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45454550270087,"sku":"32-2946","price":124500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-2946_1_d057b22c-dbb2-4864-b9ad-6899f35d940d.png?v=1786735258"},{"product_id":"ancient-roman-glass-jug","title":"Ancient Roman Glass Jug","description":"Roman Iridescent Glass Jug\u003cbr\u003e Circa 100–300 CE \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Surviving intact for nearly two millennia, this large Roman glass jug is a remarkable testament to one of antiquity’s great technical achievements. Glassblowing transformed the ancient world, allowing artisans to shape molten glass into vessels of extraordinary variety and refinement. Crafted using this revolutionary technique, this example preserves both its elegant form and the brilliant rainbow iridescence developed over centuries. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Its broad globular body rises to a tall waisted neck and collared mouth, with a single strap handle joining the rim to the shoulder. To find such a substantial vessel in fragile glass still intact after so many centuries is exceptional. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The jug’s exceptional iridescence is the product of centuries spent buried in the earth. Moisture in the soil slowly changed the surface of the green glass, forming thin layers that reflect light in shimmering shades of blue, violet and gold. Time itself created this remarkable rainbow effect. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A smaller jug with a globular body, collared rim and strap handle is preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cesnola Collection. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 10 1\/2\" high x 8 1\/4\" wide x 7 3\/4\" deep \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Private Collection, Oxford\u003cbr\u003e Private Collection, United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46081218347143,"sku":"32-2917","price":22850.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-2917_1.png?v=1791465554"},{"product_id":"ancient-egyptian-limestone-head-of-a-ptolemaic-king","title":"Ancient Egyptian Limestone Head of a Ptolemaic King","description":"Egyptian Limestone Head of a King Ptolemaic Period, 332–30 BCE \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Carved more than two thousand years ago, this limestone head presents an Egyptian king wearing the traditional \u003cem\u003enemes\u003c\/em\u003e headdress, an enduring emblem of pharaonic power. Formerly in the Christian Levett Collection, the sculpture was displayed at the Mougins Museum of Classical Art in France for over a decade and later featured in the exhibition \u003cem\u003eCaesar \u0026amp; Cleopatra\u003c\/em\u003e at the Historical Museum of the Palatinate in Speyer, Germany. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The broad headdress frames the king’s face while leaving his ears exposed. Full cheeks, softly modeled lips and a slight smile lend the portrait a serene, idealized expression, recalling representations of Ptolemy II and suggesting a possible identification. Above the forehead, the headdress once bore a \u003cem\u003euraeus\u003c\/em\u003e, a rearing cobra associated with divine protection and royal authority, likely fashioned from metal. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Egypt’s Ptolemaic rulers descended from the Macedonian Greek general Ptolemy I, a successor to Alexander the Great. Although Greek in origin, they embraced the imagery of the ancient pharaohs to affirm their legitimacy as sovereigns of Egypt. Royal portraits such as this head expressed that continuity, preserving the visual language of Egyptian kingship during the dynasty that culminated in the reign of Cleopatra VII. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e On base: 14\" high x 11 1\/2\" wide x 12\" deep \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Exhibited: Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Mougins, France, June 2011–August 2023, inv. no. MMoCA196\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eCaesar \u0026amp; Cleopatra\u003c\/em\u003e, Historical Museum of the Palatinate, Speyer, Germany, April 13–October 26, 2025 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Literature: P. Clayton, “Ancient Egypt,” in Mark Merrony, ed., \u003cem\u003eMougins Museum of Classical Art\u003c\/em\u003e, 2011, p. 54, no. 44 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, Switzerland, acquired in London in the late 1960s\u003cbr\u003e Christian Levett Collection, Mougins Museum of Classical Art, acquired in 2008\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46244106567815,"sku":"32-2705","price":78500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-2705_1.png?v=1792443669"},{"product_id":"ancient-egyptian-alabaster-vase-2","title":"Ancient Egyptian Alabaster Vase","description":"Ancient Egyptian Alabaster Vase\u003cbr\u003e Third Intermediate Period, 945–715 BCE \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Carved nearly three thousand years ago, this Egyptian alabaster vase unites the natural beauty of banded stone with the sculptural elegance of ancient Egyptian craftsmanship. Cream and honey-colored bands ripple across its elongated body, which tapers from rounded shoulders to a flared foot. A broad, flat rim crowns the short neck, balancing the vessel’s graceful proportions. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Highly prized in ancient Egypt, Egyptian alabaster is a form of banded calcite, distinct from the softer gypsum alabaster commonly used in later European decorative arts. Its warm coloring, translucency and richly varied mineral patterns made it especially desirable for fine vessels. Ancient craftsmen carved, drilled and polished the stone into containers for practical and ceremonial use, revealing its striking natural decoration. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e According to Egyptologist Olivier Perdu of the Collège de France, vessels of this type held wine for ceremonies intended to appease the Eye of Re, the powerful feminine manifestation of the sun god. Egyptian alabaster vessels also traveled far beyond Egypt, becoming prestigious possessions throughout the ancient Mediterranean. Some were subsequently reused by Phoenician elites as funerary urns, reflecting the enduring value placed on these finely worked objects. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 15 1\/2\" high x 5\" diameter","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46244107878535,"sku":"32-3205","price":58500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-3205_1.png?v=1792443685"}],"url":"https:\/\/rauantiques.com\/collections\/10-26-ancient-treasures.oembed","provider":"M.S. Rau","version":"1.0","type":"link"}