BGuthrie Photos: MD -- Baltimore -- Walters Art Museum -- Ancient Artworks

MD -- Baltimore -- Walters Art Museum -- Ancient Artworks:

Bruce Guthrie Photos Home Page: [Click here] to go to Bruce Guthrie Photos home page.

Recognize anyone? If you recognize specific folks (or other stuff) and I haven't labeled them, please identify them for the world. Click the little pencil icon

underneath the file name (just above the picture). Spammers need not apply.

Slide Show: Want to see the pictures as a slide show? [Slideshow]

Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

Help? The Medium (Email) links are for screen viewing and emailing. You'll want bigger sizes for printing. [Click here for additional help]

[1] WALTAN_130203_001_STITCH.JPG

[2] WALTAN_130203_002_STITCH.JPG

[3] WALTAN_130203_004_STITCH.JPG

[4]

WALTAN_130203_011.JPG

[5] WALTAN_130203_021.JPG

[6] WALTAN_130203_034.JPG

[7]

WALTAN_130203_040.JPG

[8]

WALTAN_130203_047.JPG

[9] WALTAN_130203_053.JPG

[10] WALTAN_130203_059.JPG

[11] WALTAN_130203_065.JPG

[12] WALTAN_130203_071.JPG

[13] WALTAN_130203_077.JPG

[14]

WALTAN_130203_083.JPG

[15] WALTAN_130203_089.JPG

[16] WALTAN_130203_096.JPG

[17] WALTAN_130203_101.JPG

[18] WALTAN_130203_107.JPG

[19] WALTAN_130203_113.JPG

[20] WALTAN_130203_120.JPG

[21]

WALTAN_130203_126.JPG

[22] WALTAN_130203_134.JPG

[23]

WALTAN_130203_139.JPG

[24] WALTAN_130203_147.JPG

[25] WALTAN_130203_157.JPG

[26] WALTAN_130203_164.JPG

[27] WALTAN_130203_169.JPG

[28] WALTAN_130203_177.JPG

[29]

WALTAN_130203_183.JPG

[30] WALTAN_130203_189.JPG

[31] WALTAN_130203_197.JPG

[32]

WALTAN_130203_202.JPG

[33]

WALTAN_130203_210.JPG

[34] WALTAN_130203_213.JPG

[35] WALTAN_130203_230.JPG

[36] WALTAN_130203_236.JPG

[37] WALTAN_130203_241.JPG

[38] WALTAN_130203_247.JPG

[39] WALTAN_130203_254.JPG

[40] WALTAN_130203_260.JPG

[41] WALTAN_130203_266.JPG

[42] WALTAN_130203_271.JPG

[43]

WALTAN_130203_277.JPG

[44] WALTAN_130203_288.JPG

[45] WALTAN_130203_294.JPG

[46] WALTAN_130203_305.JPG

[47] WALTAN_130203_311.JPG

[48]

WALTAN_130203_316.JPG

[49]

WALTAN_130203_323.JPG

[50] WALTAN_130203_328.JPG

[51] WALTAN_130203_336.JPG

[52] WALTAN_130203_340.JPG

[53] WALTAN_130203_347.JPG

[54] WALTAN_130203_358.JPG

[55]

WALTAN_130203_367.JPG

[56] WALTAN_130203_378.JPG

[57] WALTAN_130203_383.JPG

[58] WALTAN_130203_388.JPG

[59] WALTAN_130203_394.JPG

[60]

WALTAN_130203_398.JPG

[61] WALTAN_130203_406.JPG

[62] WALTAN_130203_410.JPG

[63] WALTAN_130203_417.JPG

[64] WALTAN_130203_423.JPG

[65] WALTAN_130203_426.JPG

[66] WALTAN_130203_434.JPG

[67] WALTAN_130203_438.JPG

[68] WALTAN_130203_445.JPG

[69] WALTAN_130203_450.JPG

[70] WALTAN_130203_457.JPG

[71] WALTAN_130203_462.JPG

[72] WALTAN_130203_466.JPG

[73] WALTAN_130203_471.JPG

[74] WALTAN_130203_476.JPG

[75] WALTAN_130203_480.JPG

[76] WALTAN_130203_485.JPG

[77] WALTAN_130203_490.JPG

[78] WALTAN_130203_495.JPG

[79] WALTAN_130203_501.JPG

[80] WALTAN_130203_505.JPG

[81] WALTAN_130203_511.JPG

[82] WALTAN_130203_517.JPG

[83] WALTAN_130203_523.JPG

[84] WALTAN_130203_527.JPG

[85] WALTAN_130203_531.JPG

[86] WALTAN_130203_537.JPG

[87] WALTAN_130203_543.JPG

[88] WALTAN_130203_548.JPG

[89] WALTAN_130203_553.JPG

[90] WALTAN_130203_559.JPG

[91] WALTAN_130203_567.JPG

[92] WALTAN_130203_576.JPG

[93] WALTAN_130203_577.JPG

[94] WALTAN_130203_581.JPG

[95] WALTAN_130203_587.JPG

[96] WALTAN_130203_593.JPG

[97] WALTAN_130203_598.JPG

[98] WALTAN_130203_604.JPG

[99] WALTAN_130203_610.JPG

[100] WALTAN_130203_617.JPG

[101]

WALTAN_130203_622.JPG

[102] WALTAN_130203_626.JPG

[103]

WALTAN_130203_632.JPG

[104] WALTAN_130203_642.JPG

[105] WALTAN_130203_649.JPG

[106] WALTAN_130203_655.JPG

[107] WALTAN_130203_660.JPG

[108] WALTAN_130203_666.JPG

[109] WALTAN_130203_673.JPG

[110] WALTAN_130203_680.JPG

[111] WALTAN_130203_690.JPG

[112] WALTAN_130203_695.JPG

[113]

WALTAN_130203_700.JPG

[114]

WALTAN_130203_711.JPG

[115] WALTAN_130203_716.JPG

[116] WALTAN_130203_722.JPG

[117] WALTAN_130203_729.JPG

[118] WALTAN_130203_734.JPG

[119] WALTAN_130203_737.JPG

[120] WALTAN_130203_761.JPG

[121] WALTAN_130203_768.JPG

[122] WALTAN_130203_771.JPG

[123] WALTAN_130203_779.JPG

[124] WALTAN_130203_784.JPG

[125] WALTAN_130203_792.JPG

[126] WALTAN_130203_797.JPG

[127] WALTAN_130203_800.JPG

[128] WALTAN_130203_816.JPG

Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. WALTAN_130203_011.JPG: The Temple Gateway: The granite blocks set into this gateway come from two temples as Samannud and Behbeit el-Hagar, located about six miles apart in the Delta region of northern Egypt. Built primarily by the pharoahs Nectanebo II (360-343 BC) and Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 BC), these temples are unusual in having been constructed entirely of granite, an extremely hard and heavy stone that was brought from quarries as Aswan, some 600 miles away. These blocks, all of which came from exterior walls of the temples, are carved in sunk relief, a technique that is better able to withstand erosion from wind-blown sand. Sunk relief also stands out better in strong, direct sunlight.
2. WALTAN_130203_040.JPG: The Egyptian Temple: A temple was considered a god's residence on earth. Colossal statues of kings, gods, or divine animals stood guard before the large temple gateways. Inside the courtyards, priests and believers gathered on feast days, when meat and liquid offerings for the deity were distributed among the participants. Beyond the open courtyards were hypostyle halls, temple courts filled with large stone columns carved with papyrus and lotus capitals, evoking the marshy environment from which the ancient Egyptians believed creation emerged. Still further into the temple, the floor rose and the ceiling lowered as purified priests, the onyl ones allowed to enter, approached the inner-most sanctuary. Within that dark room, in a small shrine, was the temple's cult statue, which daily was awakened, fed, clothed, anointed, and ritually addressed in hymns or speeches of adoration.
3. WALTAN_130203_047.JPG: Block Statue of Ankh-pekhred: Block statues could be found in either tombs or temples. The human figure is carved as a simple, cubic mass that is both stable and durable, important features for an object intended to be an eternal dwelling place for the spirit of its deceased owner. The surface of the block also provided space for inscriptions. The texts on this statue are addressed to the clergy of the temple, requesting offerings and other benefits for Ankh-pekhred.
4. WALTAN_130203_083.JPG: Egyptian Art After 1000 BC: Egyptian art during the Third Intermediate Period (1069-747 BC) and Late Period (747-332 BC) reasserted Egyptian artistic traditions. Sculptors modeled images based on Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom types, especially borrowing Middle Kingdom "older ruler" faces and New Kingdom hairstyles. After 1000 BC, Egypt was ruled by a succession of non-Egyptians, beginning with the Libyan families who had settled in northern Egypt, followed by Kushites from the Sudan, Assyrians, Persians, Macedonian Greeks, and Romans. Despite foreign domination, Egyptian culture remained intact. Kushite, Persian, Ptolemaic, and Roman rulers paid for temples to the Egyptian gods and depicted themselves as pharaohs worshipping. Egyptian priests built the temples and maintained the ancient religion. This collaboration allowed the culture to continue until Christianity brought it to a close.
5. WALTAN_130203_126.JPG: Egyptian Art from the Old Kingdom Through The New Kingdom: 2685-1069 BC: Artists and craftsmen existed in Egypt as early as 4000 BC. By the Old Kingdom (ca 2686-2181 BC), sculptors worked under royal patronage in established workshops. Armed with stone drills, hammers, and copper chisels, they carved hard materials into impressive sculptures. Private works imitated the court style. Faces resembling the rulers were placed upon young and vigorous bodies. The fall of the Old Kingdom led to the rise of provincial rulers. They were forced to rely on available local artists for their monuments and tomb decorations, resulting in distinctive provincial styles. A centralized government was re-established at the beginning of the Middle Kingdom (2055-1650 BC). Pharaohs, and their followers, brought back the court style, copying the round, unlined faces of the Old Kingdom. By the middle of the 12th dynasty, rulers introduced a new image of an older king, whose burden of duties showed in his lined face. This new image was imitated in sculptures made for the ruler's subjects. After the Middle Kingdom collapsed, the Hyksos, foreigners from the east, invaded Egypt. A native dynasty from Thebes in southern Egypt defeated the Hyksos, re-united the country, and founded the 18th dynasty and the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC). Their pharaohs had traditional images of themselves created, linking them to past rulers. Most statues of these rulers are identifiable, even if not inscribed with a name. Private sculpture followed royal model. It was made both for dedication in temples and for placement in tombs. The early style of garments and wigs is simple, influenced by Middle Kingdom fashions. Later, wealth created an elegant court and imposing temples. In keeping with this new luxury, men and women are depicted in elaborate, pleated gowns and with long wigs composed of tiers or curls.
6. WALTAN_130203_139.JPG: Funerary Rites and the Tomb: Although their religious beliefs did not change significantly, over time the ancient Egyptians developed different concepts of the afterlife. In early times (ca 2600-2200 BC), for instance, an Egyptian expected to travel through the sky after death to reach a "field of reeds," where eternity could be spent associating with the kings and gods. Funerary texts consisting of magical phrases inscribed on the walls of private tomb chapels appear during this time. They were designed to ensure the survival of the deceased after death. The earliest of these texts, called Pyramid Texts, occur on the chamber walls of kings from the 5th to the 8th dynasties (2494-2125 BC). In the Middle Kingdom (2000-1700 BC), all Egyptians expected to travel the sky with the sun-god Re and cross the underworld to meet its god, Osiris, before whom they would be judged to determine if they were worthy to live forever. A new body of funerary texts called Coffin Texts appeared. They provided spells to guarantee the deceased a safe journey. During the New Kingdom (ca 1500-1000 BC), Egyptians hoped not only to join Osiris, but also to travel the sky daily with the sun-god Re. As a result of the period's emphasis on the union of Re with Osiris, people believed the sun's dim illumination of the underworld at night helped the dead awaken and, like the sun itself, be reborn in the east each day. A new set of funerary texts accompanied the New Kingdom burials. Called The Book of the Dead, the texts were known as the "spell for coming forth by day." They also contained magical spells to protect the dead and assist them in achieving immortality. By the Late Period (700 BC - AD 300), the cult of Osiris and his wife, Isis, has spread throughout Egypt and beyond. Egyptians of this era held a strong belief that magic and amulets associated with the cult would help the deceased attain an afterlife.
7. WALTAN_130203_183.JPG: Animal Mummification: As well as the baboon, falcon, and cat, animals such as the ibis, crocodile, bull, ram, and snake were mummified. During the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC), sacred animals were bred on the temple grounds for sacrifice as votive offerings. Believers paid temple priests to mummify the animals, which were then dedicated to various gods as requests for assistance or as thanks for help received. Often animal mummies were placed within reliquaries, like the falcon-shaped one in this case, which were dedicated in temples. Cats, associated with the goddess Bastet, protector of pregnant women, were frequently mummified and buried as votive gifts in extensive cemeteries at Bubastis, the deity's cult center. Animal mummifications reached its peak during the Late Period (747-332 BC).
8. WALTAN_130203_202.JPG: Cat Mummy: This cat mummy was carefully wrapped in linen strips. The x-ray of the mummy shows its neck intact, with the forelegs pressed down against the body and hind legs folded together.
9. WALTAN_130203_210.JPG: Falcon Reliquary: This handsome statuette, likely dedicated to the falcon-god Horus, is missing its crown and eye inlays. The base is inscribed with texts of adoration and prayer. Examination through a hole in the head revealed bird bones (color photo) that had been wrapped in linen and placed inside through a trap door between the statuette's legs. A neutron-induced radiograph also reveals the presence of bones inside the reliquary.
10. WALTAN_130203_277.JPG: Hittite, 1500-1200 BC: The big head, large ears, and short neck of this figurine are characteristic of Hittite art.
11. WALTAN_130203_316.JPG: Relief with Winged Genius: This relief decorated the interior wall of the northwest palace of King Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud, which is situated in present-day Iraq. With his right hand, the genius (or benevolent spirit) uses a cone-shaped object to sprinkle from his bucket some magic potion upon either a sacred tree or the king depicted on the adjacent relief. The genius wears the horned crown of a deity and the elegant jewelry and fringed cloak of contemporary courtiers.
12. WALTAN_130203_323.JPG: This is a reconstruction of what the Winged Genius would have originally looked like. Scientists have discovered small particles of paint that once covered the carving. This reconstruction was created for our educational on-line resource for students and teachers. Go to http://teachers.thewalters.org and click on the Science section of "Integrating the Arts: Mummies, Manuscripts and Madonnas" to paint the Winged Genius yourself!
13. WALTAN_130203_367.JPG: Hermophroditus Hermaphroditus was a half-male, half-female deity who was the child of the messenger-god Hermes and Aphrodite, goddess of love. A favorite subject of Hellenistic and Roman artists, he was depicted with breasts, male genitals, and a voluptuous body. Images of Hermaphroditus were placed in gymnasia, baths, theaters, and homes. The small size of this example suggests that it was made as a decorative object or for a household shrine.
14. WALTAN_130203_398.JPG: Roman Funerary Practices: Early in Rome's history, the dead were either cremated or buried. By the 2nd century B.C., cremation had become the preferred practice. The remains of the deceased were deposited in urns, which were often placed in columbariums (vaults with niches in the walls). During the 2nd century A.D., the elite began to favor burial, in imitation of Hellenistic practices. It was believed that the welfare of the deceased's souls depended on the care given to the body. By law, ceremonies had to be located outside of towns, and tombs and funerary markers often lined the roads. The very wealthy could afford elaborately carved marble sarcophagi, which were placed in family tombs. The terms sarcophagus refers to a stone coffin and literally means "flesh-eating." In 1885, a tomb that had been used by the prominent Licinian and Calpurnian families for many generations (from about A.D. 135 to the early 3rd century) was discovered near the Via Salaria, just outside Rome. The tomb had three chambers. Portraits of family members and their distinguished relatives and connections -- including Pompey the Great, rival of Julius Caesar, and Livia, wife of the emperor Augustus -- were found in the earliest chamber along with altars. In the remaining chambers, ten sarcophagi were found, all later in date that the portraits. Seven of these exquisitely carved sarcophagi are displayed in this gallery. The Calpurnian family belonged to a mystery-cult that worshiped the god Dionysus Sabazius, a deity who combined the characteristics of Dionysus and Sabazius. The wine-god Dionysus (generally known as Romans as Bacchus) was also a god of fruitfulness and vegetation. Sabazius, another Greek god, was often identified with Dionysus and shared his associations with nature. The decoration on the sarcophagi in this room makes symbolic reference to the god's cult and includes scenes from Greek myths, reinterpreted according to late Roman beliefs. The images were chosen to express the ideas of life and death held by the family. In general, the representations proclaim the victory of life over death.
15. WALTAN_130203_622.JPG: The Roman World: 509 BC - AD 410: In the late 6th century BC, the monarchy of Rome was overthrown, and the Roman Republic, governed by two annually elected consuls, was born. These rulers originally were chosen only from the great landowning families. After years of political unrest, which saw the rise to power and murder of Julius Caesar in 44 BC and the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra by Octavian Caesar in 31 BC, the republic was transformed into an empire. In 27 BC, the Senate awarded Octavian the title of Augustus, and he became the first ruler of an empire that would last for nearly five centuries. At its height in the 2nd century AD, the empire extended around the Mediterranean Sea and as far north as England.. The power of the Roman Empire gradually declined, however, and Rome itself was sacked by the Visigoths in AD 410. During the rise of the Roman state, the city of Rome became the center of a vast and highly organized empire. Roman innovators focused on practical solutions to logistical problems, devising sophisticated systems of law and government, as well as feats of civil engineering that included aqueducts, city and road building, and the construction of large-scale structures, such as the Forum and the Colosseum. Artists played a crucial role in society as emperors and other men of power campaigned for public support through the display of their portrait statues, which emphasized their virtues, ideals, and qualities of leadership. Craftsmen also built temples to the gods and the public buildings that represent the power of ancient Rome to this day.
16. WALTAN_130203_632.JPG: Alexander the Great
17. WALTAN_130203_700.JPG: Amazon Roman copy of a Greek bronze original by Cresilas of ca 440BC
18. WALTAN_130203_711.JPG: Wound beneath her right breast
Multi Column: Number of columns of thumbnails to appear per page (normally defaults to 3): [1 col] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Bigger photos? To save server space, the full-sized versions of these images have either not been loaded to the server or have been removed from the server. (Only some pages are loaded with full-sized images and those usually get removed after three months.) I still have them though. If you want me to email them to you, please send an email to guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can email them to you, or, depending on the number of images, just repost the page again will the full-sized images.
Directly Related Pages: Other pages with content (MD -- Baltimore -- Walters Art Museum -- Ancient Artworks) directly related to this one: [Display ALL photos on one page]:
- 2012_MD_Walters_Ancient: MD -- Baltimore -- Walters Art Museum -- Ancient Artworks (25 photos from 2012)
- 2006_MD_Walters_Ancient: MD -- Baltimore -- Walters Art Museum -- Ancient Artworks (84 photos from 2006)
- 2005_MD_Walters_Ancient: MD -- Baltimore -- Walters Art Museum -- Ancient Artworks (41 photos from 2005)
Same Subject: Click on this link to see coverage of items having the same subject: [Walters Art Museum] [Display ALL Walters Art Museum photos] [Museums (Art)]
2013 photos: Trips this year: three Civil War Trust conferences (Memphis, TN, Jackson, MS [to which I added a week to to visit sites in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee], and Richmond, VA), and my 8th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including sites in Nevada and California). Ego Strokes: Aviva Kempner used my photo of her as her author photo in Larry Ruttman's "American Jews & America's Game: Voices of a Growing Legacy in Baseball" book. Equipment this year: I mostly used my Fuji XS-1 camera but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000 and Nikon D600. Number of photos taken this year: just over 570,000.
Connection Not Secure messages? Those warnings you get from your browser about this site not having secure connections worry some people. This means this site does not have SSL installed (the link is http:, not https:). That's bad if you're entering credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal information. But this site doesn't collect any personal information so SSL is not necessary. Life's good!
Limiting Text: You can turn off all of this text by clicking this link: [Thumbnails Only]
Photo Contact: [Email Bruce Guthrie].