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The Cairo Geniza is a collection of some 400,000 manuscript fragments that were kept in the Geniza of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Egypt. These manuscripts span the entire period of Middle-Eastern, North African, and Andalusian Jewish history between the 6th and 19th centuries CE

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The Cairo Geniza is a collection of some 400,000 manuscript fragments that were kept in the Geniza of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Egypt. These manuscripts span the entire period of Middle-Eastern, North African, and Andalusian Jewish history between the 6th and 19th centuries CE

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A selection of the East Asian Collection I've built over the past 12 months. Books, manuscripts, early artwork, I've acquired copies of the Tale of Genji, manuscripts on yokai and war, and even examples of sutras and fragments going back to the 8th century

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A selection of the East Asian Collection I've built over the past 12 months. Books, manuscripts, early artwork, I've acquired copies of the Tale of Genji, manuscripts on yokai and war, and even examples of sutras and fragments going back to the 8th century

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The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, discovered between 1896 and 1907 at an ancient rubbish dump near Oxyrhynchus in Egypt, is a collection of over 500,000 fragments of documentary, religious and important literary texts dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 7th century CE

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The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, discovered between 1896 and 1907 at an ancient rubbish dump near Oxyrhynchus in Egypt, is a collection of over 500,000 fragments of documentary, religious and important literary texts dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 7th century CE

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Stemming from Jiangyong, in China, a small group of women in the 19th and 20th centuries practiced this special script, called Nüshu, that no man could read or write. The writing system allowed these women to keep autobiographies, write poetry and stories, and communicate with each other

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Stemming from Jiangyong, in China, a small group of women in the 19th and 20th centuries practiced this special script, called Nüshu, that no man could read or write. The writing system allowed these women to keep autobiographies, write poetry and stories, and communicate with each other

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A small ivory sculpture of a polar bear found on Igloolik Island. Middle Dorset period, 1st-6th century CE, now on display at the Canadian Museum of History

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A small ivory sculpture of a polar bear found on Igloolik Island. Middle Dorset period, 1st-6th century CE, now on display at the Canadian Museum of History

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A rather eclectic collection of medieval manuscripts from the 12th to 15th Centuries, recently acquired, all produced in France. There are charters, letters, and several bound records. The oldest piece is an inventory notice dated May 1241, for one Pierre de Castela

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A rather eclectic collection of medieval manuscripts from the 12th to 15th Centuries, recently acquired, all produced in France. There are charters, letters, and several bound records. The oldest piece is an inventory notice dated May 1241, for one Pierre de Castela

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Japanese ivory netsuke in the shape of a man heralding the New Year, Edo period, 18th-19th century, Bern History Museum. In Japanese art, netsuke are wooden or ivory figurines used as a fastener to secure pouches or other items on the belt.

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Japanese ivory netsuke in the shape of a man heralding the New Year, Edo period, 18th-19th century, Bern History Museum. In Japanese art, netsuke are wooden or ivory figurines used as a fastener to secure pouches or other items on the belt.

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A Coptic magical text , 6th–7th century CE, from Egypt. Ink on papyrus, now part of Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.

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A Coptic magical text , 6th–7th century CE, from Egypt. Ink on papyrus, now part of Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.

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The painting depicts a young man. It is a so-called Fayum portrait—a unique type of portrait created in Egypt during the Roman period, roughly from the 1st to the 3rd century CE. These portraits were painted on wooden panels using the encaustic technique .

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The painting depicts a young man. It is a so-called Fayum portrait—a unique type of portrait created in Egypt during the Roman period, roughly from the 1st to the 3rd century CE. These portraits were painted on wooden panels using the encaustic technique .

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The 24,000 years old remains of Mal'ta Boy, discovered in the 1920s in Siberia, Russia. The boy belonged to the population of Ancient North Eurasians, who were genetically intermediate between modern western Eurasians and Native Americans, but distant from east Asians

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The 24,000 years old remains of Mal'ta Boy, discovered in the 1920s in Siberia, Russia. The boy belonged to the population of Ancient North Eurasians, who were genetically intermediate between modern western Eurasians and Native Americans, but distant from east Asians

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Chapel of San Baudelio de Berlanga, 11th century, Soria, Spain. It was built in the middle of nowhere, in lands that were frontier between Christianity and Islam. A plain stone square from outside, its palm tree shaped central column and frescoes make this church next to unique...

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Chapel of San Baudelio de Berlanga, 11th century, Soria, Spain. It was built in the middle of nowhere, in lands that were frontier between Christianity and Islam. A plain stone square from outside, its palm tree shaped central column and frescoes make this church next to unique...

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Chapel of San Baudelio de Berlanga, 11th century, Soria, Spain. It was built in the middle of nowhere, in lands that were frontier between Christianity and Islam. A plain stone square from outside, its palm tree shaped central column and frescoes make this church next to unique...

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Chapel of San Baudelio de Berlanga, 11th century, Soria, Spain. It was built in the middle of nowhere, in lands that were frontier between Christianity and Islam. A plain stone square from outside, its palm tree shaped central column and frescoes make this church next to unique...

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Fragments of a stone inscription from Olympia : the Rules of the Isolympic games in Naples, the Sebasta. These games, based on the Olympics, were founded for Roman emperor Augustus in 2 BCE - 2 CE ca. The inscription is of 1st-2nd c. CE; at the Arch. Mus. of Olympia

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Fragments of a stone inscription from Olympia : the Rules of the Isolympic games in Naples, the Sebasta. These games, based on the Olympics, were founded for Roman emperor Augustus in 2 BCE - 2 CE ca. The inscription is of 1st-2nd c. CE; at the Arch. Mus. of Olympia

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An 8th-century Quran manuscript being restored in Egypt. Considered one of the oldest surviving Quran manuscripts, it has 1087 leaves weighting around 80kg, each made of one entire animal’s skin.

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An 8th-century Quran manuscript being restored in Egypt. Considered one of the oldest surviving Quran manuscripts, it has 1087 leaves weighting around 80kg, each made of one entire animal’s skin.

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Book of Hours of the king of France Francis I. 1532-1538. Illuminated manuscript of 150 folios with 16 full-page miniatures. Cover with a carnelian intago that feature the Crucifixion of the Christ between Saint-Francis of Assisi and Saint-Jerome. Louvre museum, Paris, France.

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Book of Hours of the king of France Francis I. 1532-1538. Illuminated manuscript of 150 folios with 16 full-page miniatures. Cover with a carnelian intago that feature the Crucifixion of the Christ between Saint-Francis of Assisi and Saint-Jerome. Louvre museum, Paris, France.

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Furniture support in the form of a bull's leg. Egypt, Early Dynastic period, Dynasty 1, ca. 2800 BC. Hippopotamus ivory. RISD Museum collection

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Furniture support in the form of a bull's leg. Egypt, Early Dynastic period, Dynasty 1, ca. 2800 BC. Hippopotamus ivory. RISD Museum collection

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