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A Roman mould-blown glass beaker with honeycomb pattern from the 4th century AD. At the moment it is on display at @rijksmuseumvanoudheden in Leiden, on loan from a private collection. This glass was probably made in the eastern part of the Mediterranean, possibly in Syria or Egypt, but glasses like this one were spread all over the Roman Empire. This glass has a pattern of irregularly shaped hexagons. Such honeycomb patterns were not only popular in the (Eastern) Roman Empire but also in the Sasanian Empire (224-651 AD), that bordered the eastern Roman provinces. #rijksmuseumvanoudheden #leiden #glass #glas #mouldblownglass #glassblowing #syria #egypt #romanempire #ancientrome #ancientromanglass #easternromanempire #antiquity #lateantiquity #history #honeycomb #honeycombpattern #hexagon #roman #romanart #romanglass #art #museum #green (bij Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHm1qcKHyDb/?igshid=7x2hh6uoatwd

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A gilded silver Roman cavalry helmet from @rijksmuseumvanoudheden in Leiden. It was found in 1910 near the village of Helenaveen (south of the Netherlands) and is dated to be from around 320 AD. It’s a so-called ridge helmet, a type that came into use by the Roman army in the 3rd century AD. It consists of two halfs, each made up of three segments, held together by the central ridge. The helmet is decorated with silver tacks and with anchors on the segments. An inscription on the helmet says “STABLESIA [?] VI [?]”, probably referring to the 6th cavalry unit/regiment Stablesiani. The ‘Equites Stablesiani’ were cavalry units that were created in the late 3rd century AD. In the 4th century some of these units were assigned to duty in the frontier provinces of the Roman Empire. #rijksmuseumvanoudheden #leiden #deurne #helenaveen #peelhelm #helmet #cavalryhelmet #cavalry #romanempire #rome #ancientrome #roman #romanmilitary #military #silver #gildedsilver #gilded #art #ancient #ancienthistory #antiquity #lateantiquity #archaeology #archeology #museum #history #militaryhistory (bij Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHlC9h0HoHu/?igshid=1cp8js7surwhj

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Fragments of a Roman glass cup with scenes of a chariot race, from @rijksmuseumvanoudheden in Leiden. These emerald green fragments are from a mould-blown circus cup from the second half of the 1st century AD and were discovered near Tunis. On it you can see two quadrigae, a chariot drawn by four horses abreast. A complete cup would show four quadrigae racing against each other in the Circus Maximus in Rome. Above each chariot would be the name of the charioteer with behind it the word ‘VA’ (from vade or vale) as an encouragement. #rijksmuseumvanoudheden #leiden #rmo #glass #glas #roman #romanempire #romanart #ancientrome #circusmaximus #quadriga #chariot #chariotracing #chariotrace #green #cup #circus #horse #emerald #archaeology #archeology #art #museum #antiquity (bij Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHkftoPnKXD/?igshid=ck559w8rr4m7

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A ceramic rhyton (drinking horn) in the shape of the head of a roe deer, made in Campania (Italy) in the 3rd century BC, from @allardpierson in Amsterdam. Rhyta had a long-standing tradition in ancient Iran, especially during the Achaemenid period many exquisite pieces were produced. Through trade, territorial expansion and military conflict the use and production of these drinking vessels spread all over western Asia, the Balkans and part of the mediterranean. This rhyton is made of ‘bucchero’, a type of black ceramics from the Italian region of Campania. #allardpiersonmuseum #allardpierson #amsterdam #ceramics #ceramic #bucchero #campania #italy #iran #rhyton #doe #deer #drinking #tableware #art #history #arthistory #mediterranean #greek #hellenistic #ancientgreece #ancientitaly #ancient #ancienthistory #archaeology #archeology #museum (bij Allard Pierson Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHdPjlLHMzE/?igshid=f2uy41g343jf

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A small lentoid shaped core-formed glass aryballos (oil flask), 4th-3rd century BC, possibly from southern Italy. Currently on display in an exhibition about glass in @rijksmuseumvanoudheden in Leiden. The technique of core-formed glass was probably developed in the 2nd millennium BC in northern Mesopotamia and quickly spread around the eastern Mediterranean. Greeks brought the technique to other parts of the Mediterranean, for example to their colonies in southern Italy and on Sicily. Typically the Greeks imitated the shape of their vases in core-formed glass. The lentoid shape of this oil flask is atypical as comparable ceramic aryballoi are usual round. #rijksmuseumvanoudheden #rmo #leiden #glass #glas #glassart #coreformedglass #greek #aryballos #flask #southernitaly #greekart #ancientgreece #ancientgreekart #ancientart #ancient #art #history #museum #archaeology #archeology (bij Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHc3rAmnxvC/?igshid=kmy6fs70o0w7

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Small limestone head of a Persian from @allardpierson in Amsterdam (photo 1). It was made in the Hellenistic period, probably in the late 4th or early 3rd century BC in Taranto (Southern Italy). The head used to belong to a the figure of a man that was part of a frieze depicting a battle between Greeks and Persians. It can best be compared to the so-called Alexander Sarcophagus (late 4th century BC, Istanbul Archaeology Museum) which has a frieze with bas-relief carvings showing Alexander the Great fighting the Achaemenid Persian army in the Battle of Issus (333 BC). Photo 2 shows a detail of this frieze: you can see Persian soldiers with similar headdresses as the head from Allard Pierson. Another comparison can be made with the famous Alexander Mosaic (2nd century BC, National Archaeological Museum in Naples), believed to be a copy of a Hellenistic painting from the late 4th or early 3rd century BC. This mosaic also depicts the Battle of Issus. On the 3rd photo you can see a detail of it: the Achaemenid Persian king Darius III (r. 336-330 BC) and some soldiers, all wearing the same headdress as the Persian head in Amsterdam. #allardpiersonmuseum #allardpierson #amsterdam #museum #art #arthistory #hellenistic #hellenisticart #sculpture #taranto #italy #archaeology #archeology #history #persian #alexanderthegreat #alexandersarcophagus #alexandermosaic #battle #battleofissus #ancient #ancienthistory (bij Allard Pierson Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHcreB9nNT4/?igshid=huqdks59pdzb

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A bone scabbard chape, made in Iran c. 500 BC, from @allardpierson in Amsterdam. The kings of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 559-331 BC) managed to conquer and subdue vast territories due to their effective military. The most famous soldiers of their armed forces are the so-called ‘Immortals’, a 10,000 strong elite corps according to Greek sources. Palace reliefs depict guardsmen and soldiers in court dress. Persian infantrymen usually carried a short sword known as ‘akinakes’. The scabbard of these swords were sometimes decorated with embossed gold or gilded stucco. The chape of those scabbards could be made of ivory or bone with carved reliefs. The one seen here has a goat’s head as decoration. #allardpiersonmuseum #allardpierson #amsterdam #scabbard #chape #military #sword #iran #iranian #achaemenid #achaemenidempire #bone #goat #decoration #ancient #ancientart #ancientneareast #ancientneareasternart #history #art #archaeology #miltaryhistory #arthistory #akinakes (bij Allard Pierson Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHVkOPeHqGO/?igshid=1q4bjr25dso0o

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A 5th century BC gold daric from @allardpierson (on loan from the National Numismatic Collection of De Nederlandsche Bank). The Achaemenid kings first started using coinage after the conquest of the kingdom of Lydia (western Anatolia) in the mid-6th century BC. Initially the Persians used Lydian coins but under Darius I (r. 522-486 BC) a reform took place which fixed the designs and weight standard of the royal coinage for much of the remainder of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 559-331 BC). The two principal coins were the gold ‘daric’ and the silver ‘siglos’ (or ‘shekel’). The basic design consisted of an image of the king as a warrior. A variety of poses developed over time but the king was consistently portrayed with a bow. On the coin seen here the king holds a bow and a spear. #allardpiersonmuseum #allardpierson #amsterdam #coin #coinage #numismatics #numismatic #daric #gold #munt #geld #money #history #archaeology #archeology #archeologie #art #museum #kunst #king #warrior #achaemenid #achaemenidempire #sardis #turkey #persian #persianempire #ancient #ancienthistory #numismatica (bij Allard Pierson Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHU6ZADn58j/?igshid=1wuiugnpq6u1z

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A clay plaque with an erotic scene from the Old Babylonian period (19th-16th century BC), from @allardpierson in Amsterdam. Such plaques were mass-produced in Mesopotamia during the 2nd millennium BC, including those that depict sexual acts. The one seen here shows a man penetrating a woman from behind while she is drinking through a straw from a jug. Most likely it’s a scene from a pub or brothel. The woman probably drinks beer, which was usually drunk using a straw with a sieve to strain out grains of barley. Sex and sexuality were very prominent in ancient Sumerian and Babylonian art and literature, particularly in the late-3rd and early-2nd millennia. The Epic of Gilgamesh lauds sex as one of the carnal pleasures humans ought to indulge in during our brief tenure on this planet. #allardpiersonmuseum #allardpierson #amsterdam #babylon #babylonian #oldbabylonian #mesopotamia #mesopotamian #ancientneareast #ancient #sexuality #erotic #erotica #coitusatergo #beer #drinking #archaeology #archeology #archeologie #museum #art #kunst #clay #terracotta #eroticart (bij Allard Pierson Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHP2Liqn82x/?igshid=gzz030z5y1s1

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A Mesopotamian pottery fragment showing a figure from circa 2000 BC, from @allardpierson in Amsterdam. Could the figure represent Enkidu, a character from the famous Epic of Gilgamesh? This legendary figure was often depicted as half man half bull, wearing a horned headdress and with protruding bull-like ears as can be seen here. The Epic of Gilgamesh is probably the oldest surviving work of literature. Its history dates back to the Third Dynasty of Ur, that ruled over most of Mesopotamia during the 21st century BC. One of the oldest surviving examples of the Epic is from the Old Babylonian Period (19th-16th century BC). In the story Enkidu is a close comrade of Gilgamesh. #allardpiersonmuseum #allardpierson #amsterdam #pottery #art #museum #archaeology #archeology #archeologie #enkidu #gilgamesh #epicofgilgamesh #epic #ancient #history #literature #thirddynastyofur #oldbabylonian #babylonian #kunst #history (bij Allard Pierson Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHLOE5wHw5K/?igshid=qf96bzfxvhvr

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An alabaster fragment of a Mesopotamian vase with cuneiform writing on it (22nd century BC), from @allardpierson in Amsterdam. The writing can be translated as “Shar-Kali-Sharri, king of [the country of] Akkad”. The symbols in the left part of the inscription mean “Agade-ki” (Country of Akkad). The symbols on the right are the name of the Akkadian king Shar-Kali-Sharri (r. circa 2217-2193 BC), the star symbol in the top right corner is a silent (not pronounced) sign to signify divine/divinity and comes from the Sumerian word for god/goddess. Shar-Kali-Sharri was one of the last kings of the Akkadian Empire, that dominated much of Mesopotamia from the late 24th century BC until the mid-22nd century BC. #allardpiersonmuseum #allardpierson #amsterdam #museum #archaeology #archeology #archeologie #alabaster #akkad #akkadian #akkadianempire #mesopotamia #ancient #art #ancientart #cuneiform #cuneiformwriting #writing #king #history #geschiedenis (bij Allard Pierson Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHK-hI8HPh2/?igshid=ucfimgeuymtk

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Fragment of a limestone relief from the 8th century BC showing the Neo-Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III (r. 745-727 BC), from @rijksmuseumvanoudheden in Leiden. The relief was found in Nimrud and shows the king seated on a throne, holding a rod in his right hand and a flower in his left hand. Originally it was part of a larger scene: the king is blessing a high-ranking officer and a soldier. The relief was cut into pieces sometime after its excavation. Tiglath-Pileser is wearing a fez-like headdress that is characteristic for depictions of the Neo-Assyrian kings. #rijksmuseumvanoudheden #rmo #leiden #assyrian #neoassyrian #assyrianempire #assyrianart #tiglathpileseriii #relief #limestone #nimrud #iraq #mesopotamia #mesopotamian #mesopotamianart #archaeology #archeology #archeologie #art #museum #kunst #king #koning #throne (bij Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGzQgbgnjz0/?igshid=fgtzzjz0go9o

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Fragment of a limestone from Nimrud with cuneiform inscriptions about the building activities of the Neo-Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II (r. 883-859 BC), from @allardpierson in Amsterdam. This king made Nimrud the new capital of the Assyrian Empire in the 9th century BC; he ordered the construction of new palaces, temples, city walls and other buildings. This limestone might have served as a foundation deposit; it was a traditional practice in ancient Mesopotamia to bury such deposits under newly constructed buildings, to commemorate and glorify the ruler who had ordered construction and to ask the god for their protection and blessing. #allardpierson #allardpiersonmuseum #amsterdam #ashurnasirpal #ashurnasirpalii #assyrian #assyrianempire #neoassyrian #assyrianart #art #archaeology #archeology #archeologie #cuneiform #spijkerschrift #nimrud #iraq #history #museum #mesopotamia #limestone (bij Allard Pierson Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGwh1QYHZIj/?igshid=f8pz21spgh2k

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Fragment of a Neo-Assyrian limestone relief with a winged genie wearing a horned headdress, from @rijksmuseumvanoudheden in Leiden. Most likely this relief is originally from the palace of Ashurnasirpal II in Nimrud (Kalhu). He reigned the Neo-Assyrian Empire (c. 911-607 BC) from 883 till 859 BC and made Nimrud the new capital, complete with new impressive palaces and temples. Winged genies such as this one are a recurring theme in Assyrian art; usually depicted holding a pail and a cone, either accompanying the king or paired with a tree. The exact significance of such genies or ‘apkallus’ (minor deities) is yet unknown, but it is believed they were depicted to provide protection and blessing. #rijksmuseumvanoudheden #rmo #leiden #assyrian #neoassyrian #nimrud #ashurnasirpal #genie #apkallu #wingedfigure #limestone #relief #archaeology #archeology #archeologie #history #art #iraq #palace (bij Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGuqeW5no-4/?igshid=1qpr429lo1w76

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A small terracotta piece, showing the head of a man next to a column in the shape of a lotus flower, from @allardpierson in Amsterdam. This fragment from the 5th century BC was possibly part of a vase. It was found and made in Memphis (Egypt) but the man shown here was most likely a Persian king or perhaps a satrap or other court official from the Achaemenid Empire (c. 559-331 BC); his beard, hairstyle and headdress are typical for an Achaemenid Persian nobleman. Egypt was conquered in 525 BC by the Achaemenid king Cambyses II (r. 530-522 BC), son of Cyrus the Great (r. 559-530 BC) who had founded the empire. Achaemenid rule of Egypt would last until 404 BC and then again from 343 till 332 BC. #allardpierson #allardpiersonmuseum #amsterdam #memphis #egypt #achaemenid #achaemenidempire #persia #persian #iran #historyofiran #history #archaeology #archeologie #archeology #terracotta #fragment #art #aardewerk #museum #museumfromhome (bij Allard Pierson Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGsXpyfnkWH/?igshid=i5o0lkkfwiw5

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A gold appliqué in the shape of a lion-griffin from @allardpierson in Amsterdam. This tiny object is most likely from the Achaemenid Empire (c. 559-331 BC), which stretched from the Indus valley in the east to the Aegean Sea in the west. Appliqués such as this one were probably used as clothing ornaments; the Achaemenid kings and their family, the nobility, high government officials would decorate their clothing with these small gold plaques, often in the shape of animals, the head of an animal, mythological creatures like this lion-griffin or deities such as the Egyptian dwarf-god Bes. (bij Allard Pierson Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGpwPSVH-N8/?igshid=1sbf9z5v40i5i

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An Achaemenid Persian rhyton from @allardpierson in Amsterdam. This bronze drinking horn has the shape of the head of a ram. This rhyton is most likely from the Achaemenid period (c. 559-331 BC). Such pieces of tableware have a long history in Iran; the Achaemenid kings used fine examples made of silver, gold, bronze or even glass at their royal table. Iranian rhytons typically consist of a conical or trumpet-like horn with an animal-headed protome, with a pouring hole in the muzzle or chest. The one seen here is of a simpler type; simply in the form of a horn in the shape of an animal head. #allardpiersonmuseum #allardpierson #amsterdam #iran #iranian #persia #persian #achaemenid #achaemenidempire #rhyton #tableware #animal #archaeology #history #antiquity #bronze #drinking #museum (bij Allard Pierson Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGm9ERmHi0X/?igshid=io0ki865zu9q