Images

Frieze of Striding Lions, Perspolis (Iran), Palace G, Limestone, Achaemenid Period (Reign of Darius I and Xerxes, 522-465 BCE), Oriental Institute, University of Chicago This carving represents a cloth canopy with tassels (partly chipped...

Horned Animals with Stars Overhead; Cylinder seal impression; Basalt, serpentine; Khafajah, Sin Temple II (Iraq), Late Uruk-Jamdat Nasr period (3350-2900 BCE). Oriental Institute, University of Chicago

A Roman statue of unknown date depicting Hygieia, the goddess of Health. Believed to be a copy of a 2nd century BCE original. (Vatican Museums, Rome).

A sculpture of Urania, the Muse of Astronomy. Originally the statue was of Persephone but recarved and with a head addded taken from a 2nd century CE statue of another Muse. (Vatican Museums, Rome).

A 1st century CE Roman sculpture of Melpomene, the Muse of tragedy. She holds a sword and the tragic mask of Hercules. (Vatican Museums, Rome).

A Roman sculpture of unknown date depicting Clio the Muse of history. (Vatican Museums, Rome).

A 1st century CE Roman sculpture of Erato, the Muse of lyric poetry, playing the lyre. (Vatican Museums, Rome).

A Roman 2nd century CE sculpture of Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry. The sculpture is a copy of a 2nd century BCE Hellenistic sculpture which was itself a copy of a 4th century BCE Greek original. (Vatican Museums, Rome).

A Roman sculpture of Terpsichore, the Muse of Dance, playing a lyre, 1st century CE. (Vatican Museums, Rome).

Limestone head of Egyptian pharaoh Mentuhotep II, 11th Dynasty 2061-2010 BCE. The head comes from a column of the mortuary temple Deir el-Bahari at Thebes West. Mentuhotep II was the Theban king who ruled for half a century and reunified...