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A lapis lazuli cylinder seal decorated with geometric pattern. Piedmont style, Jemdet Nasr period , from Iraq, now part of Yale Babylonian Collection

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A lapis lazuli cylinder seal decorated with geometric pattern. Piedmont style, Jemdet Nasr period , from Iraq, now part of Yale Babylonian Collection

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The Net Cylinder of the king Entemena which describes the beginning of a war between the city-states of Lagaš and Umma during the Early Dynastic III period, one of the earliest border conflicts recorded. 2400 BCE, from Iraq, now at the Yale Babylonian Collection

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The Net Cylinder of the king Entemena which describes the beginning of a war between the city-states of Lagaš and Umma during the Early Dynastic III period, one of the earliest border conflicts recorded. 2400 BCE, from Iraq, now at the Yale Babylonian Collection

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A large Neo-Assyrian lapis lazuli cylinder seal from Babylon in Iraq, and dated to the reign of the king Esarhaddon , depicting the storm god Adad, standing on a stylized pedestal, with bolts of lightning in his hands, and a lion-dragon on a leash lying at his feet

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A large Neo-Assyrian lapis lazuli cylinder seal from Babylon in Iraq, and dated to the reign of the king Esarhaddon , depicting the storm god Adad, standing on a stylized pedestal, with bolts of lightning in his hands, and a lion-dragon on a leash lying at his feet

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Statuette of a priest. Excavated from Mound A, Khafaje, Iraq , early Dynastic period, ca. 2475-2300 BC. Alabaster, shell, lapis lazuli. Penn Museum collection

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Statuette of a priest. Excavated from Mound A, Khafaje, Iraq , early Dynastic period, ca. 2475-2300 BC. Alabaster, shell, lapis lazuli. Penn Museum collection

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“Oxus Lady” with bird body. From Eastern Iran or Central Asia, Oxus Culture . Made of chlorite, limestone and lapis lazuli. Now part of a Private Collection in the UK

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“Oxus Lady” with bird body. From Eastern Iran or Central Asia, Oxus Culture . Made of chlorite, limestone and lapis lazuli. Now part of a Private Collection in the UK

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A limestone elephant sculpture from Mesopotamia, late Uruk-Jemdet Nasr period, 3,400–3,000 BCE. Size: 15 cm high, 20 cm long. Now part of the collection of Oliver Hoare Ltd

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A limestone elephant sculpture from Mesopotamia, late Uruk-Jemdet Nasr period, 3,400–3,000 BCE. Size: 15 cm high, 20 cm long. Now part of the collection of Oliver Hoare Ltd

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Lapis-lazuli bull's head, probably Mesopotamian in origin, set into a gold mount of Egyptian workmanship, from the 3rd Intermediate Period , with floral decoration. From Dahshur in Egypt, now housed at the British Museum

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Lapis-lazuli bull's head, probably Mesopotamian in origin, set into a gold mount of Egyptian workmanship, from the 3rd Intermediate Period , with floral decoration. From Dahshur in Egypt, now housed at the British Museum

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A ceramic egg-shaped pyxis decorated with geometric patterns, excavated from a Bronze Age tomb in Cyprus. Late 21st Century BCE, now housed at the Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities in New Zealand

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A ceramic egg-shaped pyxis decorated with geometric patterns, excavated from a Bronze Age tomb in Cyprus. Late 21st Century BCE, now housed at the Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities in New Zealand

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A flintlock rifle with a twisted barrel and heart shaped bore from 1765, formerly owned by George IV, now part of the Royal Collection Trust

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A flintlock rifle with a twisted barrel and heart shaped bore from 1765, formerly owned by George IV, now part of the Royal Collection Trust

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A flintlock rifle with a twisted barrel and heart shaped bore from 1765, formerly owned by George IV, now part of the Royal Collection Trust

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A flintlock rifle with a twisted barrel and heart shaped bore from 1765, formerly owned by George IV, now part of the Royal Collection Trust

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Tomb brick with dragon. China, Warring States period, 3rd c BC. Gray pottery with incised decoration. Nelson Atkins Museum of Art collection

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Tomb brick with dragon. China, Warring States period, 3rd c BC. Gray pottery with incised decoration. Nelson Atkins Museum of Art collection

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A selection of old Assyrian documents in the Yale Babylonian Collection

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A selection of old Assyrian documents in the Yale Babylonian Collection

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Decorative inlay with female flute player wearing a cylinder seal pendant on her wrist. Sumerian, Nippur, ca. 2600-2500 BC . Shell with incised decoration. Loaned to the Morgan Library & Museum from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Decorative inlay with female flute player wearing a cylinder seal pendant on her wrist. Sumerian, Nippur, ca. 2600-2500 BC . Shell with incised decoration. Loaned to the Morgan Library & Museum from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Stoneware cup with underglaze painted decoration . Northern China, 13th or 14th c . Cleveland Museum of Art collection

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Stoneware cup with underglaze painted decoration . Northern China, 13th or 14th c . Cleveland Museum of Art collection

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Terracotta red-figure kylix . Greek, Attic, decoration attributed to the vase painter Douris, ca. 470 BC. Metropolitan Museum of Art collection. See exterior with women and youths in museum link in comments

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Terracotta red-figure kylix . Greek, Attic, decoration attributed to the vase painter Douris, ca. 470 BC. Metropolitan Museum of Art collection. See exterior with women and youths in museum link in comments

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A Mughal dagger made in c. 1610-1620 CE, probably from Agra in India, now part of the private collection of sheikh Al Thani. Nephrite jade hilt and scabbard set with rubies, emeralds and a pearl in kundan settings; watered steel blade with gold-overlaid decoration

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A Mughal dagger made in c. 1610-1620 CE, probably from Agra in India, now part of the private collection of sheikh Al Thani. Nephrite jade hilt and scabbard set with rubies, emeralds and a pearl in kundan settings; watered steel blade with gold-overlaid decoration

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Incense burner , silver decorated with precious metals and rock crystal, 1890. Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Japanese Art.

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Incense burner , silver decorated with precious metals and rock crystal, 1890. Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Japanese Art.

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A brick decorated in relief with an erotic scene, Eastern Han period , from Xinlongsiang in China, now housed at the Sichuan Museum

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A brick decorated in relief with an erotic scene, Eastern Han period , from Xinlongsiang in China, now housed at the Sichuan Museum

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Fragment with engraved decoration, possibly from a handle. Old Bering Sea II culture, Alaska, ca. 100-300 AD. Walrus ivory. Metropolitan Museum of Art collection

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Fragment with engraved decoration, possibly from a handle. Old Bering Sea II culture, Alaska, ca. 100-300 AD. Walrus ivory. Metropolitan Museum of Art collection

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