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2 blue glass cups made Ennion, who was one of the most prominent glassworkers of Ancient Rome, active from about 1 to 50 CE. He is famous for being the first known maker of decorated mold-blown glass, and for the exquisite quality of his work. Ennion branded his work by signing them

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2 blue glass cups made Ennion, who was one of the most prominent glassworkers of Ancient Rome, active from about 1 to 50 CE. He is famous for being the first known maker of decorated mold-blown glass, and for the exquisite quality of his work. Ennion branded his work by signing them

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The Porcelain Room of the Santos Palace in Lisbon, Portugal, is famous for its ceiling, laid out between 1664 and 1687 CE with more than 250 Chinese porcelain plates, almost all of them decorated in blue and white

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The Porcelain Room of the Santos Palace in Lisbon, Portugal, is famous for its ceiling, laid out between 1664 and 1687 CE with more than 250 Chinese porcelain plates, almost all of them decorated in blue and white

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The epitaph of Licinia Eucharis, an ancient Roman stage actress who died at the age of 14. She is one of the few ancient actresses known to have achieved fame and respect in her profession during the Roman Republic. The 1st century BCE epitaph on her tomb was written by her father

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The epitaph of Licinia Eucharis, an ancient Roman stage actress who died at the age of 14. She is one of the few ancient actresses known to have achieved fame and respect in her profession during the Roman Republic. The 1st century BCE epitaph on her tomb was written by her father

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2,300-Year-Old Horse Headdress from Siberia, c.350-300 BCE: this elaborate headgear was designed to be worn by a horse, and it's decorated with a figure of a rooster perched atop the head of a ram

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2,300-Year-Old Horse Headdress from Siberia, c.350-300 BCE: this elaborate headgear was designed to be worn by a horse, and it's decorated with a figure of a rooster perched atop the head of a ram

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A Roman knobbed blue glass beaker with a plain ground rim, bulging sides and a flat base: blown into a silver case with openwork designs. 50-100 CE, from Italy, now housed at the British Museum

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A Roman knobbed blue glass beaker with a plain ground rim, bulging sides and a flat base: blown into a silver case with openwork designs. 50-100 CE, from Italy, now housed at the British Museum

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A Roman gold snake bracelet found on the arm of a woman who was killed by Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 CE near Pompeii, inscribed on the inside 'DOMINVS SVAE ANCILLAE' which means "From a master to his slave girl."

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A Roman gold snake bracelet found on the arm of a woman who was killed by Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 CE near Pompeii, inscribed on the inside 'DOMINVS SVAE ANCILLAE' which means "From a master to his slave girl."

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A Roman denarius minted around 76 AD to commemorate the rebuilding of the Temple of Jupiter. The reverse on this coin may have been defaced by someone who was unhappy about this event. Strangely enough, the temple burned down less than five years later.

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A Roman denarius minted around 76 AD to commemorate the rebuilding of the Temple of Jupiter. The reverse on this coin may have been defaced by someone who was unhappy about this event. Strangely enough, the temple burned down less than five years later.

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This 12th-century CE sock, from Egypt, was knitted from the toe upward to the leg. Its heel was made separately at the end and attached to loops left during leg knitting. This ingenious practice allowed the heel to be replaced when it wore out without the necessity of making new socks

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This 12th-century CE sock, from Egypt, was knitted from the toe upward to the leg. Its heel was made separately at the end and attached to loops left during leg knitting. This ingenious practice allowed the heel to be replaced when it wore out without the necessity of making new socks

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The Treasury seen from the Siq, Petra, 1st Century AD. One of the most elaborate rock-cut tombs in the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom, as most of the surviving buildings and tombs in the city, the facade was carved out of the cliff. This was the first glimpse of Petra on arrival...

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The Treasury seen from the Siq, Petra, 1st Century AD. One of the most elaborate rock-cut tombs in the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom, as most of the surviving buildings and tombs in the city, the facade was carved out of the cliff. This was the first glimpse of Petra on arrival...

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The Battle of Changping in ancient China, is infamous for being one of the bloodiest battles of antiquity, because several hundred thousand soldiers were buried alive. In fact so many people were killed, that the bones of the dead were used to make fertilizer in the 1970s

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The Battle of Changping in ancient China, is infamous for being one of the bloodiest battles of antiquity, because several hundred thousand soldiers were buried alive. In fact so many people were killed, that the bones of the dead were used to make fertilizer in the 1970s

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An erotic mosaic stolen from Pompeii by a Nazi captain during World War II has been returned to the ancient site. Featuring a man reclining on a couch being attended to by a scantily clad woman, the mosaic may have decorated a bedroom floor in a Roman villa.

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An erotic mosaic stolen from Pompeii by a Nazi captain during World War II has been returned to the ancient site. Featuring a man reclining on a couch being attended to by a scantily clad woman, the mosaic may have decorated a bedroom floor in a Roman villa.

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A malachite sculpted cameo brooch depicting a Bacchante, a follower of Bacchus , God of Wine. Italian made, but the 18k gold frame is most probably English. 1850 to 1860 C.E.

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A malachite sculpted cameo brooch depicting a Bacchante, a follower of Bacchus , God of Wine. Italian made, but the 18k gold frame is most probably English. 1850 to 1860 C.E.

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This is not glass. This 11th century Fatimid ewer was made from a single block of rock crystal, one of the hardest minerals to carve. There are seven similar ewers in existence.

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This is not glass. This 11th century Fatimid ewer was made from a single block of rock crystal, one of the hardest minerals to carve. There are seven similar ewers in existence.

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Votive decorated dagger & sheath, made of gold, ivory, & silver. From the Temple of the Obelisks, Byblos; dated to 2000 - 1800 BCE. Considered to be an offering to the warrior god Resheph, who is probably depicted on the hilt. At the Beirut museum, nr. 16492

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Votive decorated dagger & sheath, made of gold, ivory, & silver. From the Temple of the Obelisks, Byblos; dated to 2000 - 1800 BCE. Considered to be an offering to the warrior god Resheph, who is probably depicted on the hilt. At the Beirut museum, nr. 16492

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This silver box with various writing utensils was made around 1560/1570 CE by Wenzel Jamnitzer, who was the best known German goldsmith of his era, and court goldsmith to a succession of Holy Roman Emperors. It is lavishly decorated with natural casts of small animals, shells and plants

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This silver box with various writing utensils was made around 1560/1570 CE by Wenzel Jamnitzer, who was the best known German goldsmith of his era, and court goldsmith to a succession of Holy Roman Emperors. It is lavishly decorated with natural casts of small animals, shells and plants

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The Vix Krater is an imported Greek wine-mixing vessel found in the Celtic grave of the "Lady of Vix" in northern Burgundy, France. Made of bronze and dating back to ca. 500 BC, the Vix krater is the largest known metal vessel from Western classical antiquity, being 1.63 m in height

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The Vix Krater is an imported Greek wine-mixing vessel found in the Celtic grave of the "Lady of Vix" in northern Burgundy, France. Made of bronze and dating back to ca. 500 BC, the Vix krater is the largest known metal vessel from Western classical antiquity, being 1.63 m in height

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Bronze Rhinoceros Zun with Gold and Silver Inlays. This exquisite artifact immortalizes the Sumatran rhinos that once roamed ancient China before being wiped out by the demand for rhino-hide armor. Western Han Dynasty, 202 BCE~8 CE

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Bronze Rhinoceros Zun with Gold and Silver Inlays. This exquisite artifact immortalizes the Sumatran rhinos that once roamed ancient China before being wiped out by the demand for rhino-hide armor. Western Han Dynasty, 202 BCE~8 CE

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The Shrine of St. Patrick's Bell is a bell shrine reliquary dated to c. 1094–1105 CE, and is made of bronze, silver, gold, glass and rock crystal. It contains a c. 500 iron hand-bell which survives, and is a highpoint of Irish metalwork from the late Insular and early Romanesque periods

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The Shrine of St. Patrick's Bell is a bell shrine reliquary dated to c. 1094–1105 CE, and is made of bronze, silver, gold, glass and rock crystal. It contains a c. 500 iron hand-bell which survives, and is a highpoint of Irish metalwork from the late Insular and early Romanesque periods

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A 2nd century mosaic showing Ganymede getting his butt wiped by a bird. The artworks were found inside a Roman latrine in Güney, southern Turkey. The town encompasses the ancient city of Antiochia ad Cragum, which was a significant site during the Roman and Byzantine eras

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A 2nd century mosaic showing Ganymede getting his butt wiped by a bird. The artworks were found inside a Roman latrine in Güney, southern Turkey. The town encompasses the ancient city of Antiochia ad Cragum, which was a significant site during the Roman and Byzantine eras

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Portrait head of Mithridates VI of Pontus as Hercules, made in the first century CE. Mithridates, one of the late Roman Republic's most formidable enemies, was also known for his mastery of poison.

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Portrait head of Mithridates VI of Pontus as Hercules, made in the first century CE. Mithridates, one of the late Roman Republic's most formidable enemies, was also known for his mastery of poison.

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