AIC: Ancient and Byzantine Art (Bot)
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aicbyzantine.bsky.social
AIC: Ancient and Byzantine Art (Bot)
@aicbyzantine.bsky.social
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Sharing artworks from the Art Institute of Chicago's Ancient and Byzantine Art department.
Automated thanks to @andreitr.bsky.social and @botfrens.bsky.social
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Aureus (Coin) Portraying Emperor Diocletian https://www.artic.edu/artworks/145225/
Portraits of important people appear on local currency all around the world. The same was true in ancient Rome, which began producing its first coinage in the late 4th century BC. Early coins depicted the heads of gods and goddesses on the front side, often in profile, while the back depicted animals, natural resources, symbols, and references to historical events. It was not until 44 BC that the portrait of a living person—Julius Caesar—appeared on coins. Thereafter, profile portraits of rulers or other members of the imperial family became the standard subject on coins throughout the Roman Empire. Inscriptions on coins help identify the ruler. While the front side depicted the sovereign’s portrait, the back was often used to communicate the ruler’s accomplishments or aspirations. Until Late Antiquity, portraits usually appeared in profile. The tiny images were carved by engravers into bronze dies, with one for the front and another for the back. The coins were then struck, one by one, in a process similar to how coins are created today. The fourth century was a time of tremendous political, social, and religious strife within the Roman Empire, but the imagery on these coins tells a story of an unbroken chain of powerful rulers. Diocletian (reigned 284–305) enacted a series of administrative, military, and monetary reforms that brought an end to the chaos of the third century. He divided the vast empire into western and eastern halves and assigned their administration to four men, the Tetrarchy. Each half was governed by two tetrarchs, one senior and one junior in status. Portraits of these rulers are generic-looking, without individualized features, to reinforce the unity of their joint rule. Gift of Mr. Roger Trienens
December 23, 2025 at 8:56 AM
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Statuette of the Apis Bull https://www.artic.edu/artworks/133696/
Gift of Mrs. Frank Hibbard
December 22, 2025 at 7:47 PM
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Coin Depicting the Hero Herakles https://www.artic.edu/artworks/142949/
Gift of William F. Dunham
December 22, 2025 at 3:48 PM
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Head of a Young Man https://www.artic.edu/artworks/419/
Museum Purchase Fund
December 22, 2025 at 2:14 PM
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Oinochoe (Pitcher) https://www.artic.edu/artworks/45693/
Gift of Theodore W. and Frances S. Robinson
December 22, 2025 at 9:23 AM
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Amulet of Thoth https://www.artic.edu/artworks/135985/
Gift of Henry H. Getty, Charles L. Hutchinson, and Norman W. Harris
December 21, 2025 at 5:25 PM
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Bow Fibula https://www.artic.edu/artworks/196459/
This precious bronze object is a votive, or devotional gift, made as an offering to the gods. They come in many forms, such as animals, beads and brooches. Many seem once to have been attached to something else. Votives were hung from sacred trees or placed in sanctuaries around Greece. Once a shrine was full, the votives were ceremonially buried to make room for more offerings. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Alexander
December 21, 2025 at 2:33 PM
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Guttus (Pouring Vessel) https://www.artic.edu/artworks/87672/
During the course of the 5th and 4th centuries B.C., black vessels (commonly called black-glaze vessels) were made with increasing frequency in both Greece and South Italy. Many of them replicate the shape of metal vessels. Others have detailing that is molded or incised. While the quality of these vessels varies greatly, all would have been less expensive than vessels decorated in other contemporary techniques, for example, in red-figure. Gift of Martin A. Ryerson through The Antiquarian Society
December 21, 2025 at 11:12 AM
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Bowl https://www.artic.edu/artworks/67530/
Gift of Theodore W. and Frances S. Robinson
December 21, 2025 at 8:20 AM
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Aureus (Coin) Portraying Emperor Tiberius https://www.artic.edu/artworks/5602/
The front (obverse) of this gold coin portrays the head of Emperor Tiberius to the right, laureate. The back (reverse) possibly portrays Livia as Pax, enthroned on a chair with scepter in right hand, branch in left. The inscription on the front of this coin, TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVTVS ("Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of divine Augustus"), was important to marking the transition of power in the early Roman Empire. The title helped Tiberius to advertise his inherited right to rule, as Augustus’ heir and deified first Roman Emperor. The back design showing a female figure is frequently assumed to be Livia, Tiberius’s mother and Augustus's wife of fifty-three years. Livia is depicted as the Roman deity for peace, Pax. The inscription around her, “PONTIF MAXIM”, refers to the title of Pontifex Maximus, a title held by each of the Roman Emperors and signified the religious authority held by the Roman Emperor. Gift of Martin A. Ryerson
December 20, 2025 at 7:16 PM
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Amulet of the Goddess Tawaret (Toeris) https://www.artic.edu/artworks/136150/
Gift of Henry H. Getty and Charles L. Hutchinson
December 20, 2025 at 3:18 PM
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Bottle https://www.artic.edu/artworks/45705/
Gift of Theodore W. and Frances S. Robinson
December 20, 2025 at 3:11 PM
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Hexas (Coin) Depicting the God Apollo https://www.artic.edu/artworks/9843/
The front of this coin depicts the god Apollo, facing right. On the back the goddess Isis is shown standing. Gift of Mrs. William Nelson Pelouze
December 20, 2025 at 11:21 AM
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Shabti, Overseer of Tchenetipet https://www.artic.edu/artworks/136636/
Gift of Henry H. Getty, Robert H. Fleming, Norman W. Harris, and Charles L. Hutchinson
December 20, 2025 at 10:06 AM
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Bowl https://www.artic.edu/artworks/65589/
Gift of Theodore W. and Frances S. Robinson
December 19, 2025 at 7:53 PM
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Kohl Container https://www.artic.edu/artworks/62058/
Glass containers like this one were used to store kohl, a mineral compound used to dramatic effect to darken eyelids and eyelashes. Containers for cosmetics were fashioned out of a variety of materials in addition to glass, including metal, ivory, bone, and wood. In his writings, the third-century church father Saint Clement of Alexandria (d. 215) mentions white lead, charcoal, and even the “droppings of crocodiles” as common ingredients for cosmetics, although he must be regarded as a hostile witness at best. Nevertheless, the fact that his writings feature such detail about the use of makeup attests to its ubiquity. Multicompartment kohl containers were formed when a hollow tube of glass was folded in half, thereby creating two tubular containers from one. Over time, the appearance of these vessels became more elaborate and whimsical. Gift of Theodore W. and Frances S. Robinson
December 19, 2025 at 3:17 PM
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Fragment of a Vessel https://www.artic.edu/artworks/67615/
In ancient Rome, there was a high demand for colorful glass that could dazzle banquet guests alongside the expensive silver and gold serving wares meant to impress. Fragments like this one would have once been a part of larger mosaic dishes. The mosaic pattern was made by sagging molten glass into bowl-shaped molds, a technique used on many of these fragments is similar to millefiori, “thousand flowers” in Italian, a modern glass-making method in which tiny rods of colored glass are bundled together, wrapped in a sheet of glass, fused, and then thinly sliced to reveal swirls of a flower-like patterns. They were arranged side by side, sometimes together with bits of colored glass, and fused together with heat. Gift of Theodore W. and Frances S. Robinson
December 19, 2025 at 1:22 PM
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Group of Checkerboard Patterned Inlays https://www.artic.edu/artworks/67875/
In ancient Rome, there was a high demand for colorful glass that could dazzle banquet guests alongside the expensive silver and gold serving wares meant to impress. Fragments like this one would have once been a part of larger mosaic dishes. The mosaic pattern was made by sagging molten glass into bowl-shaped molds, a technique used on many of these fragments is similar to millefiori, “thousand flowers” in Italian, a modern glass-making method in which tiny rods of colored glass are bundled together, wrapped in a sheet of glass, fused, and then thinly sliced to reveal swirls of a flower-like patterns. They were arranged side by side, sometimes together with bits of colored glass, and fused together with heat. Gift of Theodore W. and Frances S. Robinson
December 19, 2025 at 11:30 AM
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Scarab: Aakheperkara (Thutmose I) https://www.artic.edu/artworks/133965/
Gift of Henry H. Getty and Charles L. Hutchinson
December 19, 2025 at 10:29 AM
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Amulet of the God Thoth https://www.artic.edu/artworks/140919/
Gift of Henry H. Getty, Charles L. Hutchinson, and Norman W. Harris
December 18, 2025 at 7:42 PM
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Coin Portraying Emperor Constantine I https://www.artic.edu/artworks/142629/
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays the emperor Constantine I, facing right and wearing a crown of laurels. On the back (reverse), the sun deity Sol is depicted standing, wearing a radiate crown and holding a globe in his left hand while rasing his right. Gift of William F. Dunham
December 18, 2025 at 4:14 PM
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Fragment of a Bowl https://www.artic.edu/artworks/67622/
In ancient Rome, there was a high demand for colorful glass that could dazzle banquet guests alongside the expensive silver and gold serving wares meant to impress. Fragments like this one would have once been a part of larger mosaic dishes. The mosaic pattern was made by sagging molten glass into bowl-shaped molds, a technique used on many of these fragments is similar to millefiori, “thousand flowers” in Italian, a modern glass-making method in which tiny rods of colored glass are bundled together, wrapped in a sheet of glass, fused, and then thinly sliced to reveal swirls of a flower-like patterns. They were arranged side by side, sometimes together with bits of colored glass, and fused together with heat. Gift of Theodore W. and Frances S. Robinson
December 18, 2025 at 3:01 PM
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Kohl Jar https://www.artic.edu/artworks/135178/
Gift of Henry H. Getty and Charles L. Hutchinson
December 18, 2025 at 10:54 AM
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Drachm (Coin) Depicting the Goddess Athena https://www.artic.edu/artworks/9656/
The front (obverse) of this coin depicts the goddess Athena, facing right. On the back (reverse) is an owl, a symbol of Athena, perching on an olive branch. Gift of Mrs. William Nelson Pelouze
December 18, 2025 at 9:56 AM
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Coin Depicting a Parasol https://www.artic.edu/artworks/20292/
The front (obverse) of this coin depicts a parasol while the back (reverse) shows three shafts of grain. Gift of Mrs. William Nelson Pelouze
December 17, 2025 at 7:13 PM