Ancient Civilizations & Artifacts, Sequim, WA (2026)

Name: Ancient Civilizations & Artifacts
Address: Sequim, WA, 98382, US
Telephone: +13606706038
Price range: $$$

You may purchase these items at my eBay store.

09/20/2022

Interesting ancient fact: Chinese Purple, sometimes known as Han Purple, was a manufactured pigment used by ancient Chinese. Made from the metals barium and copper, along with the element silicon, their most famous use was on the Terracotta Army. Being able to identify colors and knowing when they were introduced and used is important in dating items. And also to identify modern reproductions.

11/04/2020

Chinese Pair of Glass Mandarin Ducks from the Tang Dynasty
Two Ancient Chinese Mandarin Duck Love Birds

Made of Layered Opaque & Translucent Polychrome Glass

Wedding Gift & Symbol of Love

c. Tang Dynasty

618—907 A.D.

PROVENANCE/HISTORY

These solid-glass pair of Mandarin Ducks were obtained from an old collection that once was held in Henan, China. The collection was reportedly moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s. This is the first time it has been offered for sale in the United States. This museum quality set is Extremely RARE and is Guaranteed authentic and original!

This item is legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and is guaranteed to be as described or your money back. This item will come with a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) from ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS.

For SALE at my eBay store: Stores.eBay.com/Ancient-Civilizations

SUMMARY

This beautiful pair of ancient, polychrome glass birds, Chinese Mandarin Ducks, dates to approximately the famous Tang Dynasty (618—907 A.D.).

These molded glass, male and female ducks are made from translucent and opaque glass; the smaller female has a green head and chest. The various colors of polychrome, muti-colored glass are stunning and were likely a wedding gift for some lucky couple about 1,200 years ago!

Each Mandarin Duck measures about:

· Female: 3.6 oz. (102 gr.) and is about 2.86” (73 mm) long.

· Male: 4.1 oz. (115 gr.) and is about 2.97” (75 mm) long.

Each duck is made of solid glass in a stunning array of soft pastel colors that flow from one color to the next. Both the male and female have bright red crests in nature, and this is also the case in both of these glass figurines. However, the crest is larger and more pronounced on the male, who is this case has a yellow head and chest.

There also appears to be several Chinese characters that show up under the white calcium deposits on the base of each duck. Although nearly illegible, it appears that they are animals, such as a dragon.

Provenance: This lovely pair of ducks was recovered decades ago near the modern Chinese city of Xi’an, in the province of Shaanxi and amazingly. They were originally acquired from a private collection in LuoYangShi, Henan, China, and this is the first time they have been for sale in the United States after purchase in Hong Kong.

Condition: Each duck has some white calcium deposits and iron-red mineral deposits on the surface that are period correct from being buried for centuries in iron-rich, damp soil of China. The male duck has had one of his tiny, pink glass wings repaired on his back when it unfortunately broke off during shipping. The glass pair of ducks have not been cleaned and are in “as found” museum quality condition.

DETAILS:

Why Are Mandarin Ducks Viewed as Symbols of Love and Marriage?

In traditional Chinese culture, Mandarin ducks are believed to be lifelong couples; however, they actually pair up only for one season, like all ducks. But for millennia in Chinese folklore, they are regarded as a symbol of eternal love, conjugal affection, and fidelity, and are frequently featured in Chinese art and often given as wedding gifts. Both the males and females have crests, but the crest is more pronounced on the male. Mandarin ducks are also thought to represent peace, fidelity, and plentiful offspring.

A cruel fact is, the male Mandarin ducks are not as loyal as legends have it. Male mandarins do love their partners, but only for one breeding season. It is highly likely that they go find a new "true love" next year, without feeling guilty. Most mandarin ducklings do not have the opportunity to meet their father. A male mandarin ducks may keep his partner company for a time during incubation, but will leave before the ducklings hatch and never returns.

The Chinese refer to Mandarin ducks as yuanyang (simplified Chinese: 鸳鸯; traditional Chinese: 鴛鴦; pinyin: yuān yāng), where yuan (鴛) and yang (鴦), which respectively stand for male and female mandarin ducks.

A Chinese proverb for loving couples uses the mandarin duck as a metaphor: "Two mandarin ducks playing in water" (simplified Chinese: 鸳鸯戏水; traditional Chinese: 鴛鴦戲水; pinyin: yuānyāng xì shuǐ). A mandarin duck symbol is also used in Chinese weddings because in traditional Chinese lore, they symbolize wedded bliss and fidelity.

You may find it fascinating that the Chinese name for mandarin duck is yuan yang! Yes, right there in the name is the ancient Feng Shui concept of “yin and yang,” the complementary male and female energies upon which so much of the practical side of Feng Shui and related fields are based. Unlike other ducks, mandarin ducks were thought to mate for life and also show a great deal of affection for their partner.

In Feng Shui, mandarin ducks are the classic “love birds.” They even show obvious signs of mourning if their partner dies. Mandarin ducks are almost always represented at Chinese weddings. They represent fidelity and affection, for the long haul, through thick and thin, as the old saying goes. This concept and symbolism are harmonious to the promises made during most wedding vows.

Mandarin ducks are native to eastern Asia, the area where the practice of Feng Shui was originally developed thousands of years ago. In these ancient times, humans were much more in touch with nature and they watched the behaviors of animals very closely and took deep meaning from what they observed. In terms of physical appearance, mandarin ducks are showy birds so it’s hard not to notice them when they’re around. Further, they’re not that skittish so it’s easy to assume that mandarin ducks happily went about their business while these ancient Feng Shui masters studied and admired them. It’s logical to assume that those who developed Feng Shui, along with the concepts of yin and yang, were profoundly influenced by their intimate knowledge of mandarin ducks.

COLOR SYMBOLISM IN BUDDHISM

Buddhism traveled from India into China during the 1st century AD, becoming part of Chinese life and culture alongside the other established belief systems. Statues and Buddhist-related figures like these were commissioned by followers. During the Tang Dynasty, expensive gifts like this pair of Mandarin Love Ducks were often given as wedding gifts.

The colors used in these glass ducks were not chosen just for their beauty, but also for their symbolism in the Buddhist religion. Color symbolism is used in a wide variety of fascinating ways in Buddhist art and ritual. In Buddhism, each of five colors (pancha-varna: which are Blue, Black, Red, Green and Yellow) symbolizes a state of mind, a celestial Buddha, a part of the body, a part of the mantra word Hum, or a natural element. It is believed that by meditating on the individual colors, which contain their respective essences and are associated with a particular Buddha or bodhisattva, spiritual transformations can be achieved.

REFERENCES:

1. Museum of Chinese History, Beijing

2. Shanghai Museum of Glass, Shanghai, China

3. Hunan Museum, China

4. Palace Museum, Beijing, China

5. Henan Provincial Museum, China

6. Shaanxi Archaeology Institute, China

7. The Ancestral Landscape, David N. Knightley, 2000

8. The Great Bronze Age of China, edited by Wen Fong, MET, 1980

9. China: A Dawn of the Golden Age.

10. Changhua Annals of the Republic of China (1911–1949)

11. British Museum, Jessica Rawson

12. Smithsonian Museum, Sackler & Freer Gallery, WDC

13. MET, New York

14. Chinese History Museum in Beijing, China, contains an outstanding collection of early Chinese glass objects, including a small, glass aqua cup that was found in a Han Dynasty tomb in Guangxi Province, China.

15. See “Ancient Glass Research Along the Silk Road” Edited by Gan Fuxi (Chinese Academy of Sciences & Fudan University, China), Robert Brill (The Corning Museum of Glass, USA), & Tian Shouyun (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China). This book states that ancient Chinese glass from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty (200-700 AD) contained High Lead Silicate or PBO-SiO2. Although chemical tests have not been run on this glass Jue, it is believed that it made from this glass composition.

16. See “Scientific Research in Early Chinese Glass” 1991, Author: Robert H. Brill and John H. Martin, editors.

17. Kwan, Simon; Early Chinese Glass; Hong Kong, 2001. ISBN. 9627 101524

18. Susan Whitfield, The Silk Road, Trade, Travel, War and Faith, London, 2004

Member of the Authentic Artifact Collectors Association (AACA) & the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA)

Chinese History Museum in Beijing contains an outstanding collection of early Chinese glass objects, including a small aqua cup that was found in a Han Dynasty tomb in Guangxi Province, China.

07/06/2020

Rare Pre-Columbian Chimú Culture Shaman Vessel
Blackware Spout and Handle Flask with Shaman
Northern Coast of Peru
c. 900 AD—1470 AD
for SALE on my eBay Store

Summary

Item: Pre-Columbian Chimú Culture Shaman Vessel/Flask
Cultural group: Chimu, Inca
Country: Peru, North Coast
Find Location: Near the ruins of Chan Chan, the capital of the Chimú Empire, that is located nearby the modern-day town of Huanchaco.
Date: c. 900—1470 AD
Materials: Blackware, fired earthenware
Measurements:
Height: 5.94” (151 mm)
Width: 4.08” (104 mm)
Depth: 3.57” (91 mm)
Weight: 9.6 oz. (271 gr.)
Condition: Authentic mineralization and nicely encrusted with its once precious contents now dried and visible inside the spout. Black firing on edges.

Provenance
• Ex. Private collection in Marietta, GA
• Ex. Private collection in Philadelphia, PA

The Shamans on both sides of the flask are wearing extra-large ear spools, a beaded collar, and an oversized headdress shaped like a Chimú ceremonial knife (Tumi), a symbol of military power. The background behind the Shaman/Deity has a series of random dots or stipples that suggest the stars in the Chimú Upper World (Heaven). Some experts have suggested these flasks would contain the hallucinogenic drugs that would allow the Shaman’s astral travel to the Upper World to seek answers and predict the future.

Details

This small, blackware Shaman Flask is from the ancient Chimú Culture on the North coast of Peru. The Chimú culture was centered on Chimor with the capital city of Chan Chan (literally meaning “Sun Sun”) a large adobe city in the Moche Valley of present-day Trujillo, Peru, about 300 miles north of Lima. The culture arose about 900 AD, succeeding the Moche culture, and was later conquered by the Inca emperor T**a Inca Yupanqui around 1470, fifty years before the arrival of the Spanish in the region.
This beautiful flask is a mold-made, earthenware vessel with nice crisp detailing of what appears to be a Shaman figure on both sides. Authentic mineralization and nicely encrusted with its once precious contents now dried and visible inside the spout. A small, stepped temple or mountain top can be seen on the spout that is symbolic of the sacred mountains where the Deities live. {See photo # 7}

Today, aside from the astounding mud ruins of Chan Chan remarkably well preserved in the heat of the desert, the Chimú are perhaps best known for their distinctive black glazed pottery influenced by their predecessors: the Moche. The shiny black finish of most Chimú pottery was achieved by firing the pottery at high temperatures in a closed kiln, which prevented oxygen from reacting with the clay.

This spout-and-handle earthenware flask has a hemispherical design panel on both sides with a scene showing a Shaman or Chimú god with arms raised to the Chimú Upper World (Heaven)—symbolize by the dots that represent stars. On one side, the Shaman is pointing to the Upper World with his index finger, while on the other side the Shaman just has both arms raised up to the Heavens—as depicted by the stars in the sky shown as dots that surround the Shaman. {See photos 2-3)
In both cases, the Shaman’s eyes are depicted wide open—as if in a trance that would transport him to the Gods in the sky. One side of the flask depicts the Shaman being transported to the Chimú Upper World, while the other side shows him coming back safely to Earth. Shaman thought that it was necessary to have themselves “grounded” in order for them to safely return from their trip to the Gods in Heaven. If not, the Shaman would die and never be able to return to Earth.
The Shamans are wearing extra-large ear spools, a beaded collar, and an oversized headdress shaped like a Chimú ceremonial knife (Tumi), a symbol of military power. The background behind the Deity has a series of random dots or stipples that suggest the stars in the Chimú Upper World (Heaven). Some experts have suggested these flasks would contain the hallucinogenic drugs that would allow the Shaman astral travel to the Upper World to seek answers and predict the future.
A similar Chimú bottle on display at the British Museum shows a shaman like figure giving medicine to another zoomorphic figure shaped like a fish. This may have been a small medicine container used by a Shaman or Healer to dispense healing medicines. Another similar Chimú flask is on display in the Cleveland Art Museum.

The Chimú made offerings of maize flour of red ochre to the Sea God Ni for protection against drowning and bountiful catches of fish. On one side of this bottle, the Deity is holding what appears to be maize in his left hand as an offering to Ni. The Chimú practiced both animal and human sacrifices to the Gods—including one ritual sacrifice found by archeologist in 2011 of 256 children, 466 llamas, and 3 adults near the modern-day coastal town of Huanchaco, Peru.

In Pacasmayo, the Moon Deity (Si or Shi) was the greatest divinity. It was believed to be more powerful than the Sun, as it appeared by night and day, and it also controlled the weather and growth of crops. Unlike the Inca who worshiped the sun, the Chimú viewed the sun as a destroyer. This is likely due to the harshness of the sun in the desert environment they lived in. Chimú devotees sacrificed animals and birds to the Moon, as well as their own children on piles of colored cottons with offerings of fruit and chicha. They believed the sacrificed children would become deified and they were usually sacrificed around age five.Each district had local shrines that varied in importance. These shrines, called huacas, were also found in other parts of Peru, and had a sacred object of worship (macyaec) with an associated legend and cult.

Ceramics

The civilization is known for its exquisite and intricate metalworking, one of the most advanced of the pre-Columbian era. Chimú ceramics were crafted for two functions: containers for daily domestic use, and those made for ceremonial use for offerings at burials. Domestic pottery was developed without higher finishing, while funeral ceramics show more aesthetic refinement. This example was clearly made for ceremonial use or to present offerings at burials.

The main features of Chimú ceramics were small sculptures and vessels, and manufacturing molded and shaped pottery for ceremonial or daily use. Ceramics were usually stained black, although there are some variations. Lighter ceramics were also produced in smaller quantities. The characteristic brightness was obtained by rubbing with a rock that previously had been polished. Many animals, fruits, characters, and mystical entities have been represented pictorially on Chimú ceramics. Archaeological evidence suggest that Chimú grew out of the remnants of the Moche, as early Chimú pottery had some resemblance to that of the Moche. Their ceramics are all black, and their work in precious metals is very detailed and intricate.

References

Similar Flasks can be found in the:
• Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
• Gardiner Museum, Toronto, Canada
• Lombards Historical Society Museum
• Fowler Museum at UCLA, California
• British Museum, England
• Cleveland Art Museum, Ohio

07/06/2020

Rare Pre-Columbian Chimú Culture Shaman Vessel
Blackware Spout and Handle Flask with Shaman.
Northern Coast of Peru
c. 900 AD—1470 AD

For SALE on eBay!

Summary

Item: Pre-Columbian Chimú Culture Shaman Vessel/Flask
Cultural group: Chimu, Inca
Country: Peru, North Coast
Find Location: Near the ruins of Chan Chan, the capital of the Chimú Empire, that is located nearby the modern-day town of Huanchaco.
Date: c. 900—1470 AD
Materials: Blackware, fired earthenware
Measurements:
Height: 5.94” (151 mm)
Width: 4.08” (104 mm)
Depth: 3.57” (91 mm)
Weight: 9.6 oz. (271 gr.)

Condition: Authentic mineralization and nicely encrusted with its once precious contents now dried and visible inside the spout. Black firing on edges.
Provenance
• Ex. Private collection in Marietta, GA
• Ex. Private collection in Philadelphia, PA

The Shamans on both sides of the flask are wearing extra-large ear spools, a beaded collar, and an oversized headdress shaped like a Chimú ceremonial knife (Tumi), a symbol of military power. The background behind the Shaman/Deity has a series of random dots or stipples that suggest the stars in the Chimú Upper World (Heaven). Some experts have suggested these flasks would contain the hallucinogenic drugs that would allow the Shaman’s astral travel to the Upper World to seek answers and predict the future.

Details

This small, blackware Shaman Flask is from the ancient Chimú Culture on the North coast of Peru. The Chimú culture was centered on Chimor with the capital city of Chan Chan (literally meaning “Sun Sun”) a large adobe city in the Moche Valley of present-day Trujillo, Peru, about 300 miles north of Lima. The culture arose about 900 AD, succeeding the Moche culture, and was later conquered by the Inca emperor T**a Inca Yupanqui around 1470, fifty years before the arrival of the Spanish in the region.
This beautiful flask is a mold-made, earthenware vessel with nice crisp detailing of what appears to be a Shaman figure on both sides. Authentic mineralization and nicely encrusted with its once precious contents now dried and visible inside the spout. A small, stepped temple or mountain top can be seen on the spout that is symbolic of the sacred mountains where the Deities live. {See photo # 7}
Today, aside from the astounding mud ruins of Chan Chan remarkably well preserved in the heat of the desert, the Chimú are perhaps best known for their distinctive black glazed pottery influenced by their predecessors: the Moche. The shiny black finish of most Chimú pottery was achieved by firing the pottery at high temperatures in a closed kiln, which prevented oxygen from reacting with the clay.
This spout-and-handle earthenware flask has a hemispherical design panel on both sides with a scene showing a Shaman or Chimú god with arms raised to the Chimú Upper World (Heaven)—symbolize by the dots that represent stars. On one side, the Shaman is pointing to the Upper World with his index finger, while on the other side the Shaman just has both arms raised up to the Heavens—as depicted by the stars in the sky shown as dots that surround the Shaman. {See photos 2-3)
In both cases, the Shaman’s eyes are depicted wide open—as if in a trance that would transport him to the Gods in the sky. One side of the flask depicts the Shaman being transported to the Chimú Upper World, while the other side shows him coming back safely to Earth. Shaman thought that it was necessary to have themselves “grounded” in order for them to safely return from their trip to the Gods in Heaven. If not, the Shaman would die and never be able to return to Earth.
The Shamans are wearing extra-large ear spools, a beaded collar, and an oversized headdress shaped like a Chimú ceremonial knife (Tumi), a symbol of military power. The background behind the Deity has a series of random dots or stipples that suggest the stars in the Chimú Upper World (Heaven). Some experts have suggested these flasks would contain the hallucinogenic drugs that would allow the Shaman astral travel to the Upper World to seek answers and predict the future.
A similar Chimú bottle on display at the British Museum shows a shaman like figure giving medicine to another zoomorphic figure shaped like a fish. This may have been a small medicine container used by a Shaman or Healer to dispense healing medicines. Another similar Chimú flask is on display in the Cleveland Art Museum.
The Chimú made offerings of maize flour of red ochre to the Sea God Ni for protection against drowning and bountiful catches of fish. On one side of this bottle, the Deity is holding what appears to be maize in his left hand as an offering to Ni. The Chimú practiced both animal and human sacrifices to the Gods—including one ritual sacrifice found by archeologist in 2011 of 256 children, 466 llamas, and 3 adults near the modern-day coastal town of Huanchaco, Peru.
In Pacasmayo, the Moon Deity (Si or Shi) was the greatest divinity. It was believed to be more powerful than the Sun, as it appeared by night and day, and it also controlled the weather and growth of crops. Unlike the Inca who worshiped the sun, the Chimú viewed the sun as a destroyer. This is likely due to the harshness of the sun in the desert environment they lived in. Chimú devotees sacrificed animals and birds to the Moon, as well as their own children on piles of colored cottons with offerings of fruit and chicha. They believed the sacrificed children would become deified and they were usually sacrificed around age five.
Each district had local shrines that varied in importance. These shrines, called huacas, were also found in other parts of Peru, and had a sacred object of worship (macyaec) with an associated legend and cult.
Ceramics

The civilization is known for its exquisite and intricate metalworking, one of the most advanced of the pre-Columbian era. Chimú ceramics were crafted for two functions: containers for daily domestic use, and those made for ceremonial use for offerings at burials. Domestic pottery was developed without higher finishing, while funeral ceramics show more aesthetic refinement. This example was clearly made for ceremonial use or to present offerings at burials.
The main features of Chimú ceramics were small sculptures and vessels, and manufacturing molded and shaped pottery for ceremonial or daily use. Ceramics were usually stained black, although there are some variations. Lighter ceramics were also produced in smaller quantities. The characteristic brightness was obtained by rubbing with a rock that previously had been polished. Many animals, fruits, characters, and mystical entities have been represented pictorially on Chimú ceramics. Archaeological evidence suggest that Chimú grew out of the remnants of the Moche, as early Chimú pottery had some resemblance to that of the Moche. Their ceramics are all black, and their work in precious metals is very detailed and intricate.
References

Similar Flasks can be found in the:
• Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
• Gardiner Museum, Toronto, Canada
• Lombards Historical Society Museum
• Fowler Museum at UCLA, California
• British Museum, England
• Cleveland Art Museum, Ohio

05/12/2020

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

Artifacts, Antiques & Fine Collectibles

Ancient Roman Marble Head of Janus

Fragmentary Janiform Marble Sculpture

Janus: The Two-Faced God of Gates and Passages

Find Location: Agrigento, Sicily

Circa 200 BC—300 AD

Item: Ancient Roman Marble Janus Head

Est. Date: 200 BC--300 AD

Approximate Measurements:

· Height: 10"

· Width: 6"

· Depth: 7.5"

Material: Italian Marble

Weight: 25 lbs. 14 oz.

Find Location: Agrigento, Sicily in the late 19th Century

Condition: This heavy marble head of Janus weighs almost 26 pounds and is currently unmounted and in “as found” (in situ)condition with nicks, chips, scratches, and scorch marks from an ancient fire. This head appears to have been separated from a larger marble statue. This head was clearly subjected to extreme heat from a fire that has left a blacken patina on the pure white Italian marble. One side of Janus is about 65% blackened by a fire that was clearly off to her left side. One can see that his broad nose blocked the scorching heat from reaching the right side of his face. The other Janus face shows some scorching around the neck and jaw line. Please see photos and bid accordingly.

Estimated Auction Appraisal: $150,000 to $200,000.

DETAILS

No collection of antiquities is complete without a fine Greek/Roman marble head and what could be better than a very handsome Janiform, two-profile head of a man or god. Based on historical evidence, this dramatic yet fragmented marble head was likely made as part of a temple, shrine or mausoleum honoring a past battle or victory. It is likely that this head symbolizes an event of great importance, as life-size, marble statuary was quite expensive to have carved by a skilled sculptor. Janus sculptures were sometimes depicted to honor those who had passed through a symbolic gateway from the living to a future in the afterlife.

The Roman God Janus is depicted with two slightly different faces. Both faces are clean shaven and depicted with elongated, almond shaped eyes that are closed and under high-arched eyebrows. His nose is broad and his thick lips are closed in a bow-shaped pattern. His facial pattern suggests a linage to the ancient Greek ancestors from Mycenae and Minoan civilizations.

The 26-pound marble artifact shows clear evidence of having been broken out of a much larger sculpture—likely during some traumatic event—either a natural disaster like an earthquake or war and subjected to burning heat of a massive fire. Both sides of his face show small chips and scratches in the otherwise polished and smooth marble.

While the Romans copied Greek ancient Greek sculpture, the Greeks—from 800 to 300 BCE—took their early inspiration from both Minoan as well as Egyptian and Near Eastern monumental art. This marble head of Janus shows distinctive almond-shaped eyes, bow-shaped lips, and curly, pulled-back, braided and parted hair that suggest it was crafted in Greece or Rome by a master sculptor sometime around 200 BC—200 A.D. The face was also highly polished in antiquity and his hair once perfectly framed his face. The framing of the face and lack of a bearded face is also a Roman convention of art that reached its zenith in the 2nd century A.D.

The territories of ancient Greece, except for Sicily and southern Italy, contained abundant supplies of fine marble, with Pentelic and Parian marble the most highly prized, along with that from modern Prilep in Macedonia, and various sources in modern Turkey.

THE ROMAN GOD JANUS

This ancient Roman marble bust is that of the two-faced, Roman god Janus. Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, and thereby of gates, doors, doorways, passages and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces and often is shown with a thick beard. Strictly a Roman God, the ancient Greeks had no equivalent to Janus.

He was the divine guard of gateways, since he looks both forwards and backwards at the same time. The two images also reflect the transition of everlasting life of the soul as it travels from the world of the living to the everlasting world of the afterlife. Therefore, it would also have been suitable for use in a mausoleum or cemetery monument.

Janus presided over the beginning and ending of conflict, and hence war and peace. The doors of his temple were open in time of war, and closed to mark the peace. As a god of transitions, he had functions pertaining to birth and to journeys and exchange, and in his association with Portunus, a similar harbor and gateway god, he was concerned with travelling, trading and shipping. Janus had a ubiquitous presence in religious ceremonies throughout the year, and was ritually invoked at the beginning of each one, regardless of the main deity honored on any particular occasion.

It is likely that this two-face bust of Janus that weighs about 26 pounds was a part of a temple, shrine, or mausoleum that honored Janus about 2,000 years ago. Janus could also have been part of a frieze that decorated a doorway or gate that would have allowed viewers to see the marble bust from either way they approached the temple or mausoleum.

This marble bust shows distinctive almond-shaped eyes, bow-shaped lips, and curly, pulled-back, braided and parted hair that suggest it was crafted by in Greece or Rome by a master sculptor sometime around 200 BC—300 AD. The face was also highly polished in antiquity and his hair once perfectly framed his face. The framing of the face is also a Roman convention of art in the 2nd century A.D.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this marble bust of Janus is the clear affirmation that the bust was subjected to extreme heat from a fire that has left a blacken patina on the pure white Italian marble. One side of Janus is about 65% blackened by a fire that was clearly off to her left side. One can see that his broad nose blocked the scorching heat from reaching the right side of his face.

What type of huge fire caused this bust to be blackened and then destroyed? Was it caused by a massive earthquake on Sicily over 2,000 years ago? Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions were devastating in ancient times, as is dramatically shown in the 79 AD eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and the total destruction of Pompeii and several other cities on the southern coast of Italy. And Mount Etna, on the east coast of Sicily, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of activity.

Or was the fire caused by an invading army during the Punic Wars that sacked the city of Agrigento, Sicily? Although the city remained neutral in the conflict between Athens and Syracuse, its democracy was overthrown when the city was sacked and burned to the ground by the Carthaginians in 406 BC. Were the black, scorch marks on this statue caused by that fire 2,400 years ago?

We will likely never know. But is does appear that this bust was buried by rubble shortly after it was damaged in the fire. We know this because two millennia of weathering would have removed much of the blackened soot from the marble bust. Although the statue could be professionally restored by removing the blackened soot, many archeologists, art historians and experts believe this Janus bust is best left in its original condition. The two faces of Janus—one white and one black—certainly reflect the duality of the Roman God Janus.

PROVENANCE

This fascinating marble head of the Roman God Janus was found in a private field southwest of the ancient city of Agrigento, Sicily, by a Sicilian vegetable grower, Pasqual Sorrentino, who late came to America late 1800s.

This marble head came from an area in southern Sicily that was strewn marble ruin of buildings from both ancient Greek and later Roman colonies. Vast temple ruins within the Valley of Temples, like the Temple of Concordia, Heracles, and many more remain for all to see of the once powerful and glorious power of this former city-state.

Pasqual carried this treasure with him to New York City during the massive migrations in the late 19th or early 20thcentury. He settled in New York City and lived on Cherry Street in New York's lower East Side. The family then moved to Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, near the southern shore of the region.

The head was purchased at an estate auction in about 1998 from the great-great grandson of Pasqual, Domenic Sorrentino. For the past 17 years, this fabulous marble head has been in a private collection in Colorado until it was purchased at auction by Ancient Civilizations.

NOTE: All items offered for sale by Ancient Civilizations are legal to buy/sell/own under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

If requested, a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) will accompany this purchase.

The Ancient City of Agrigento

The ancient city of Agrigento, Sicily, was founded on a plateau overlooking the sea, with two nearby rivers, the Hypsas and the Akragas, and a ridge to the north offering a degree of natural fortification. Its establishment took place around 582-580 BC and is attributed to Greek colonists from Gela, who named it Akragas.

Founded with the name of Akragas by the inhabitants of Gela in the 6th century BC., Agrigento quickly became an important center in Magna Grecia, as can be seen from the massive remains still visible near the town. Destroyed by Carthage in 406 BC., it rose again and about two centuries later was under Roman rule. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it was dominated by the Goths and then the Byzantines (6th century), under whose rule it sharply declined until, in 829, it was taken by the Arabs, who destroyed the town only to rebuild it on a higher site.

The principal ancient monuments are the Doric temples in the Valle dei Templi, dating to the 6th and 5th centuries BC., dedicated to Hercules, Olympian Jupiter, Juno, Castor, Pollux and Demeter, as well as the temple called `the Concordia', still in an excellent state of preservation. The Tomb of Terone, the Oratory of Phalaris, and other small temples are also of great interest to modern tourists.

Akragas grew rapidly, becoming one of the richest and most famous of the Greek colonies of Magna Graecia. It came to prominence under the 6th-century tyrants Phalaris and Theron, and became a democracy after the overthrow of Theron's son Thrasydaeus. At this point the city could have been as large as 100,000 - 200,000 people.

Although the city remained neutral in the conflict between Athens and Syracuse, its democracy was overthrown when the city was sacked and burned to the ground by the Carthaginians in 406 BC. Akragas never fully recovered its former status, though it revived to some extent under Timoleon in the latter part of the 4th century.

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