art_history_animalia

art_history_animalia, 8 hours ago to random

Four #cicada brooches, Eastern Germanic, c. 380-500 CE
silver, copper alloy, iron
Morgan Library display

“#Cicadas symbolized immortality in the ancient world, perhaps because of their seemingly miraculous regeneration after long periods of dormancy. Cicada brooches were worn by women living along the Danube and on the northern shores of the Black Sea. The Goths converted to Christianity in the period after AD 350, and these brooches may have had connotations of spiritual renewal and rebirth.”

gallery sign: CICADA BROOCHES Cicadas symbolized immortality in the ancient world, perhaps because of their seemingly miraculous regeneration after long periods of dormancy. Cicada brooches were worn by women living along the Danube and on the northern shores of the Black Sea. The Goths converted to Christianity in the period after AD 350, and these brooches may have had connotations of spiritual renewal and rebirth. 19 Four cicada brooches, ca. AD 380-500 Eastern Germanic, silver, copper alloy, iron

art_history_animalia, 17 hours ago to spiders

#Arachnid appreciation post:
Marble cylinder seals from ancient Mesopotamia, Late Uruk / Jamdat Nasr Period, c. 3500-2900 BCE:
(7) Three #Spiders
(8) #Scorpion with a Plant
on display at The Morgan Library & Museum NYC

Scorpion with a Plant seal (numbered 8 on display) “Displayed here are seals with modern impressions replacing the clay used in antiquity. Below each impression is a photographic enlargement that clarifies the detail and beauty of the carving.”