Ancient World Gallery Interactive Map

Turquoise: Egyptian Shabti

This shabti figurine is coated in a ceramic glaze material known as faience. Its vitreous quality and gleaming blue-green color imitates the turquoise gemstone. Prized since ancient times, the enchanting hue of turquoise holds associations with fertility, eternal life, and joy in Egyptian culture. The world’s earliest known turquoise mines were located in Egypt’s Southwest Sinai peninsula. Faience made it possible to coat larger surfaces with a turquoise color, whereas inlays of the stone itself were more expensive. 

Faience may have originally been introduced from civilizations further to the East, but the techniques were refined and became widespread in Egypt. Early shabtis were hand-carved out of stone or wood, but as their popularity grew -- requiring molds for mass-production -- faience became the preferred medium. This particular figure has broken feet and a pitted surface, revealing its porous white core.

Turquoise: Chinese Garment Hook

Fastened to a belt, hooks such as this one would have been used to help secure garments -- particularly those of cavalrymen adapting to warfare on horseback during China's Warring States period (475-221 BCE). By this time, bronze had become the preferred material for durable weaponry as well as luxury objects. Beyond their practical function, increasingly ornate garment hooks became important status symbols and were typically worn by those of high rank. This particular hook features geometric motifs of turquoise, gold, and silver inlays. 

Raw turquoise typically forms as nodules in the veins of igneous rocks, rarely occurring as large deposits. As opposed to carving directly into larger stones, small pieces of turquoise were most commonly used to embellish jewelry or decorative elements for clothing. The stone’s small size additionally facilitated its broad distribution among disparate cultures. From source mines, turquoise objects could easily be transported over long distances, both carried as deposits by rivers and traded as luxury goods via the Silk Road.

Jade: Chinese Cicada

This jade amulet is in the stylized form of a cicada. Cicadas have long been regarded as symbolic creatures of high status in Chinese culture, owing to their somewhat mysterious life cycle. The insects spend up to 17 years underground as nymphs, feeding on the sap of tree roots, before emerging from the soil, climbing high into treetops, and shedding their outer skin.  This reappearance and metamorphosis has symbolized rebirth and immortality in China since ancient times. Hoping for resurrection, the Chinese favored cicada-shaped amulets such as this one in burial contexts, in order to confer the cicada’s symbolic attributes to their deceased. 

Sealing bodily orifices was a common burial practice during China’s Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE).  The belief was that these amulets would preserve the deceased person’s life force, or spirit, in order for the body to later be resurrected. Along with other jade plugs (two eye covers are displayed above this mouthpiece), this amulet would have been placed on the tongue of the deceased person. 

In China, jade is considered to embody the five moral virtues of kindness, rectitude, wisdom, courage, and purity. Its use in this burial context was believed to further preserve the body from decay. ‘Jade’ encompasses a wide range of specific minerals, but the greenish grey nephrite that this cicada is made of is the most abundant variety. Harder than steel, the stone cannot be carved, but must be carefully and gradually worn down with abrasives.

Egyptian Cartonnage: Fragment of a Mummy Cover

A shortage of wood led the ancient Egyptians to make coffins out of plaster-stiffened linen, known as cartonnage. Those who could afford it had both an inner and outer coffin that were elaborately and vividly painted. These protective covers were central to Egyptian funerary practices, supporting the belief that the body must be preserved in order for the soul to transition into the afterlife. 

This fragment was found in a tomb across the Nile from the well-known Karnak temple complex. Purchased in 1980, it became the first original Egyptian work to enter the SCMA’s collection. It illustrates gods and goddesses protecting the soul of the deceased as they accompany it into the afterlife. In the largest scene towards the bottom right, a papyrus boat holds the prominent funerary god Osiris, flanked by the sister goddesses Isis and Nephthys (respectively associated with birth and protection). 

Osiris -- acting here as a stand-in for the deceased -- was believed to have died and been brought back to life, which evoked hope for an afterlife. The ritual of his funeral may loosely reflect ceremonies for the person to whose mummy this panel was attached. A ba-bird with a human head sitting atop the boat’s prow represents the soul of the deceased. Cobra emblems throughout the design supply additional protection.    

Marble: Roman Cinerary Urn

This marble cinerary urn held the ashes of Aulus Seius Zosimianus, a distinguished Roman soldier, military official, and construction supervisor. His son commissioned the urn for his devoted father and displayed it in their family mausoleum.  

Cremation was widely practiced in the Roman Republic and remained the most common form of burial throughout most of the imperial period (1st-2nd century CE). Vessels storing cremated remains served as important devotional objects for the families of the deceased.

Deeply carved using a drill, this urn is decorated with scenes of foliage and wildlife. Surrounding the central text, a common flowering garland hangs between two horned heads of Jupiter Ammon -- a hybrid Roman-Egyptian deity that may have been worshipped by the family. Jupiter was considered the king of all gods in Roman mythology, reigning over the skies and charged with protecting the Roman state. In the bottom corners, two eagles -- regarded as Jupiter’s messengers -- grasp the ends of the band binding the festoon in their beaks.

Mogollon Jar

Dr. Katherine Gabel, Smith College Class of 1959 donated this jar to the museum in 1984. A devoted alumna, Dr. Gabel served as the dean of the Smith College School for Social Work from 1976 to 1985, as well as lecturer in the departments of Sociology and Anthropology. In addition to this jar, Dr. Gabel has more recently given a large collection of Southwestern Native American artwork to the SCMA. Her contributions have significantly expanded the SCMA’s holdings in Native American objects.

Chinese Cicada

This jade cicada amulet was given to the museum by Mr. and Mrs. Ivan B. Hart of New York. Since their contribution of this amulet, the Harts have given a substantial collection of other archaic Chinese jade objects to the museum. This larger collection was originally brought together by collector S.H. Minkenhof between 1931 and 1956, at which point the Harts acquired it. These jades were shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on three occasions and lent to the SCMA in 1959. 

Roman Floor Segment: Personification of the River Pyramos

Antioch was the capital of the Roman province of Syria and is considered to have been one of the great cities of the ancient world. The modern-day city of Antakya in southern Turkey now occupies the ancient site. This mosaic was discovered in 1937 in Seleucia Pieria (Antioch's seaport) as part of a series of excavations led by Princeton University in the 1930s. 

The mosaic is made of small pieces of marble and limestone known as tesserae. It was one section of a floor panel of a Roman triclinium, or dining room, in a private house. Serving as banquet centerpieces, these intricate mosaics were commissioned by the wealthy and displayed their status. This section is a personification of the River Pyramos -- one of four corner medallions that portrayed river figures. 

Over half of the floor was lost to erosion, but this segment remains in good condition, with only a few pieces missing. As one of several institutions affiliated with Princeton’s excavations and research, Smith was the recipient of this particular fragment. Some of the other surviving pieces from this room are currently housed in museums in Detroit, MI and Norman, OK. Wellesley College, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Louvre Museum, and Princeton University were among the other recipient institutions.

Vessels: Korean Pedestal Dish with Cover

This covered dish served as a vessel for offering food to the deceased. With a small knob handle, the domed cover could be inverted and used as an additional dish. While its primary function was funerary, it may also have stored food for special occasions in daily life. 

A majority of these pedestal dishes have been excavated from tomb sites in southeast Korea. Likely dating to the 5th-6th century CE, this example of light gray stoneware is typical of pottery from the Silla Kingdom. Although China had a significant influence on the Korean Peninsula throughout history, this particular period of Silla culture retained many distinctly Korean aesthetic sensibilities. Surrounding the openwork of the base, the surface of the raised dish is smooth and undecorated, but incised geometric motifs would have been common as well. Rings from the potter’s wheel can be seen in the clay.

Though relatively plain in its design, this unglazed dish is technically sophisticated, impervious to liquids and more durable than its Greek counterparts. This and similar vessels from the Silla Kingdom are among the earliest examples of high-fired stoneware, fired at up to 1200 degrees Celsius in hillside kilns. Such technology was only available in China and Korea at the time. 

Vessels: Nazcan Vase

The Nazca were a pre-Inca civilization on the southern coast of Peru. Due to this region’s arid climate, the storage of food and liquid was of primary importance. Rituals and iconography typically revolved around fertility and agriculture. This vase likely provided storage for feasting events or burial offerings. 

The central male figure repeated on opposite sides of the vessel is a fantastical composite creature with human elements, known as an Anthropomorphic Mythical Being (AMB). The being could represent both a natural spirit and a human shaman dressed in ritual clothing. In Nazcan religion, shamans conducted agricultural rituals, acting as intermediaries between the earthly and spiritual worlds. They often wore headdresses and gold mouth masks, as seen on this figure.

These designs are characteristic of the distinctive colorful pottery of the Nazca. Slip paints made from mineral pigments created a range of hues unparalleled by other American cultures. The slips were applied to the coil-built vessels before firing to create more durable designs.

Vessels: Mogollon Jar

The decoration of this monochromatic, dark clay vessel lies in its unique texture. The technique involved pressing a woven cord, rope, or net against the clay while it was still wet before firing. Throughout this imprinted design, spaced indentations establish an additional diamond-shaped motif along the exterior sides of the vessel. These corrugated vessels typically remained unpolished and were most often used for cooking and storage.

Corrugated greyware became most widespread in Mogollon pottery around 950 CE. In the context of Native American art, the term “ancient” defines a more recent time period than it does in most of the other ancient cultures on display in the gallery. Between approximately 200 and 1450 CE, the Mogollon peoples inhabited a mountainous region of the southwestern United States, spanning across southern New Mexico and Arizona, western Texas, and northern Mexico. 

Vessels: Greek Kylix (drinking cup) with Eye Design

 Kylixes -- wide, shallow vessels with a narrow stemmed foot and two slightly upturned handles -- functioned primarily as drinking cups. They held wine and were used during ancient Greek symposia, which were ritual drinking banquets hosted by aristocratic men in their private homes. 

This particular kylix doubles as a mask -- a feature that became common towards the end of the 6th century BCE. Side handles mimic ears, and four prominent round eyes are painted on the underside of the bowl to ward off evil when raised to the mouth. Emptying the cup additionally brought the drinker face to face with a grinning Gorgon, a mythological creature whose gaze was said to petrify. 

Kylixes were often decorated with erotic or humorous images to fit the mood of these raucous drinking parties. This one uses a black-figure painting technique to depict two exterior vignettes of a man running between two women -- possibly the mythological king Peleus seizing his wife, Thetis, in the presence of his sisters.

Vessels: Mayan Rattle-Footed Dish

Feasting was an important ritual in Mayan culture. This wide, shallow-footed dish may have served food items such as maize tamales at feasting ceremonies. It might also have been exchanged with other elaborately decorated objects. The dish additionally functioned as a musical instrument, as these rituals were filled with music and dance. When shaken, the small pellets in its feet rattle. Hollow figurines and various other ceramics similarly doubled as musical instruments in this context.   

The decoration of this tripod plate features a large-eyed god at the center, encircled by an outer band of Mayan glyphs. The fleshless skull of this central figure has been identified as the Death God -- a somewhat rare subject matter that perhaps indicates funerary significance in addition to the plate's everyday function. Featuring the vibrant orange and cream colors characteristic of Mayan ceramics, it was painted using polychrome slips -- diluted mixtures of clay and mineral pigments -- which were applied before firing.

Powerful & Magical Figures: Greek Psi-Shaped Female Idol

This terracotta figurine represents a female in the form of the Greek letter Psi. The Psi shape was one of three Greek letters commonly personified by Mycenaean figurines, each with different arm gestures. This figure’s raised arms could indicate prayer or dance. She has a pinched face, accentuated breasts, and traces of subtly wavy painted lines that suggest the drapery of a garment.

While abstract in form, female figurines such as this one can offer insight into female identity and presentation in Mycenaean culture. Several early matriarchal societies existed in ancient Greece. It is likely that the Mycenaeans adopted some of these influences, viewing men and women equally in certain domains.

These figures may have been idolized as goddesses, perhaps of fertility, or functioned as votive offerings. Many have been found in children’s tombs as well as domestic spaces, but their exact significance remains ambiguous.

Powerful & Magical Figures: Nayarit Woman Carrying a Bowl

This female figure carries a bowl as an offering. Buried with the dead -- most likely to help guide the deceased through to the afterlife -- these small sculptures would have held a sacred function in burial practices. Many such ceramic funerary figures have been excavated from ancient Nayarit shaft tombs in western Mexico. Despite being hollow, low-fired, and relatively fragile, these ceramics were remarkably well-preserved in the underground tomb chambers. 

The exaggerated proportions of these female figures have been reduced to grotesque caricatures in some Western scholarship -- a lens that adheres to Greco-Roman ideals of naturalistic beauty. These figures were skillfully crafted and not intended to serve as naturalistic representations of the everyday world. Rather, their abstract forms offered symbolic, often mythological interpretations corresponding to their ritual functions.

Powerful & Magical Figures: Egyptian Shabti

Shabtis, or ushabtis, were mummy-shaped funerary figurines placed in tombs to accompany the deceased into the afterlife.  Believing that one’s spirit might be called upon to do manual labor in the afterlife, the ancient Egyptians introduced these magical “answers” as substitutes for the spirit. This figure wears a long wig extending down to crossed hands holding implements -- likely hoes for tending the fields.  

Individuals eventually needed one shabti for every day of the year, in addition to "overseer" shabtis, for a total of 401 in a single set. The majority of figurines, including this one, were workers. The overseers were distinguished by a short kilt. A single text column of faintly impressed, illegible hieroglyphs is inscribed down the front, identifying the deceased and the worker shabti’s role.

Currency & Coinage: Chinese “Wu Zhu” Coin

This bronze “Wu Zhu” coin type was introduced by Emperor Wu during the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE).  “Wu” translates to five, and “zhu” refers to the standard monetary unit at the time. Each “Wu Zhu” coin weighed approximately four grams and continued to be cast for over seven centuries. 

Earlier “Wu Zhu” coins featured raised outer rims, but these were removed when inflation created a demand for lighter coins to facilitate trade. The square hole in the center is a common feature of ancient Chinese coinage, allowing multiple coins to be strung together for easier transport.  

Along with most of the other Chinese currency in the gallery, this coin was gifted by Ginling College, the first undergraduate women’s college in China.  Smith’s financial support of Ginling College began in 1916, just one year after its opening. The two schools became sister colleges in 1921, and the relationship lasted for three decades.