1966.26, Figure of a young man from a funerary relief, Greek, Attic, c. 330, marble
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Dating to the late 4th century BCE, this finely modeled figure was originally part of a deep relief. Such Greek funerary reliefs often included supporting figures surrounding the deceased person; in this case, an older man, the youth's father, probably once completed the group.
1996.34.A-B, Red figure patera with Atlas handle, attributed to the Painter of Louvre MNB 1148 (Trendall), Greek, South Italian, Apulian, last third of the fourth century BCE
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
This patera, or offering bowl, is a rare type featuring a terracotta sculptural handle in the form of a male nude with a beard. He upholds the disk of the bowl in his upstretched hands which is likely a reference to the mythological ch
Red-figure pyxis with lid: women's quarters
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The following essay is from the 1996 publication Gods, Men, and Heroes: Ancient Art at the Dallas Museum of Art.
1968.28.a-b, Red-figure pyxis with lid: women's quarters, Assigned to the Penthesilea Workshop (?), Greek, Attic, c. 450 BCE
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
In the ancient Greek city-state of Athens, as well as the Greek world in general, men and women lived separate lives. Men lived in the public world of politics, war, business, courtrooms, and schools.
1969.S.12 Spear with figures and head in relief
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Decorated spears are part of the regalia of a Chokwe chief (mwanangana), who serves as an intermediary between the world of humans and the realm of the ancestors and spirits. This concept of sacred kingship was introduced by Mbidi Kiluwe, the legendary founder of the empire, who was also a skillful hunter.
1969.S.94 Head with stylized body
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Bwami ritual objects include carved wood and ivory human figures with specific names and meanings, which, without field documentation, cannot always be identified with confidence. A qualified, usually male, member of the governing Bwami association commissions an artist to carve a figure but only indicates the gender, pose, and size.
1969.S.123 Staff with standing female figure
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
This staff of office is surmounted by a female posed with her hands to her breasts. This meaningful gesture refers to a mature woman's guarding of royal secrets. In Luba society, feminine maturity was manifested in a scarified body. Scarification patterns began to be applied upon initiation into womanhood and were added to and renewed throughout a woman's life.
1969.S.138 Staff with standing female figure and baby
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
In matrilineal Lwena society, political power is vested in males descended through the female line from a commonly known female ancestor. It stands to reason that in this society, the ideal woman is a mother and would be depicted on a chief's staff of office.
1969.S.191 Staff with standing male figure
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
This sculpture may be the upper section of the staff or spear of a Songye chief or a walking cane for a notable.
1969.S.70.A-B Pigment box in the half-moon shape
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
African women in traditional societies enhanced their natural beauty with scarification and cosmetic preparations. For example, they applied black kohl to their eyes, painted their faces and bodies with a reddish powder or paste, and moisturized their skin with shea butter. These and other cosmetic substances required containers for mixing and storage.