From: dhardin@bbn.com (Dawn Hardin)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Antiquities
Date: 13 Nov 1992 17:57:20 GMT
NNTP-Posting-Host: bbn.com

One of my friends at work just brought in a beautiful catalog of antiquities
for sale.  It has some really mouthwatering pictures of artwork from
ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and even Sumeria.  Some examples of things:

Roman bronze Priapus, holding up tunic filled with fruit to reveal long
erect phallus.  1st century AD, 4 1/4" high, $65,000.

Neolithic terracotta seated female figurine (headless) with hands on
breasts.  Thessaly, 5th millenium BC, 3" high, $15,000.

Egyptian large bluish-green and black faience enthroned lioness-headed
Bastet, 1000 BC, 9" tall, $45,000.

Egyptian bronze seated jackal-headed Anubis, wearing short kilt, 600 BC,
4 5/8" tall, $11,500.

Phoenician bronze seated goddess, wearing long dress and high polos, hands
raised forward; partial sheet silver coating, 14th century BC, 5" tall,
$12,500.

Hellenistic polychrome terracotta group: Aphrodite, nude, with billowing
garment, riding on Nereid, waves below.  2nd Century BC, 6", $8,500.

Egyptian large limestone relief stele: the nude dwarf god Bes brandishing
a sword.  Ist century BC/AD.  18" high, $10,000.

Sumerian copper amulet: kneeling bull, bearded, horns forming a suspension
ring.  1 7/8" high, 2800 BC, $2,251.

Post gupta red sandstone goddess, standing in tribhanga, hips swung to
her right, wearing jewelry, rosette in coiffure, India, 8th century AD,
8 1/2" high $2,750.

Inexpensive (yeah, right!) antiquities included:

Roman bronze nude Herakles 1st century AD, $3,000.

Iberian bronze male votive figure, 5th century BC 2 1/4" $750.

Corinthian terracotta squatting nude satyr, 6th century BC, 4 1/2", $2,000.

They also had some romano-british brooches that they don't picture for
prices ranging from $100 to $3000.

I have mixed thoughts on looking at this catalog.  For one thing, I wonder
how these beautiful things left their country of origin, and if it was all
legally and morally above board.  I also hate to think of them disappearing
into private collections where no one can see them.  (Although I know that
museums tend to have boxes full of these little figures that they can't 
find the room to display.)  The catalog specifically states that they are
all imported legally in accordance with international treaty, but I wonder
if buying something like this isn't contributing to a larger problem, in
the same way that buying *legal* ivory can increase the trade in *illegal*
ivory.

OK, that out of the way, I WANT THE TURQUOISE SEKHMET ON MY ALTAR!!!!!!!!!
Donations accepted, if you send me money you can come visit her whenever 
you want to, I'll take good care of her, I'll give her whatever she wants....

OK, sorry, let me wipe up that drool.  I was saying, it's amazing to think
that it's possible to *own* something like this.  Imagine having a 2500
year old Aphrodite on your altar.  I can't believe it's even possible to
just go somewhere and *buy* something like this.  Not that my budget  
allows me to make too many $10,000 purchases, but I keep thinking, I
don't really need a car that bad, some people would spend that much on an
engagement ring and this is a hell of a lot better than some stupid rock...

If anyone else wants the opportunity to drool buckets full, the catalog
is Art of the Ancient World, Royal-Athena galleries, 153 East 57th St.
New York, NY 10022 (212) 355-2034.  They also have galleries in Beverly
Hills and London.

Dawn
"Hello death, goodbye Avenue A.  I'm getting tired of waiting, tired of
being afraid.  Joseph Campbell gave me hope and now I have been saved.
So I sing hello death, goodbye Avenue A."  "Folk Song" by Bongwater.