Sadigh Gallery Update November 23 2012

Greetings from Sadigh Gallery! 

Well, December, the final month of the year, is approaching, and New York City is becoming a more festive city than ever before.  The retail stores are dressed up in their fascinating holiday decorations, and Christmas songs can be heard from anywhere in the city!   Before the cold and long winter is here, this would be the best timing to experience the cheerful and lively New York City atmosphere.  If you are visiting New York City during this holiday season--Here are some ongoing shows and events that may interest the ancient artifacts aficionados.

Metropolitan Museum

Chinese Gardens

Pavilions, Studios, Retreats

August 18, 2012–January 6, 2013

http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2012/chinese-gardens

Buddhism along the Silk Road

5th–8th Century

June 2, 2012–February 10, 2013

http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2012/buddhism

Objects from the Kharga Oasis

August 14, 2012–August 4, 2013

http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2012/kharga-oasis

Of course, after going to those places, we would like you to come visit us, too!  Unlike in Museums and high-end galleries in uptown Manhattan area, you may come in to our showroom to touch and feel the ancient relics on display.   We are currently holding a special sale during holiday seasons as well.  If you are looking for unique gifts for this holiday that are not like any other, feel free to consult with us and we will be happy to present great ancient artifacts that would make great gifts. If you live far from New York but are still interested in knowing what we have, visit our website http://www.sadighgallery.com or request for our free color catalog!

Here are some of the new collections of ancient artifacts that are currently available at the gallery:

Ancient Egyptian. Carved  amethyst horse, in a reclining pose. Translucent colors include light purple and green. A symbol of prestige, wealth and status. Ptolemaic. 305-30 BC

(3" x 3")

Ancient Egyptian. Carved pale carnelian scarab with traces of red. 26th Dynasty. 633-532 BC (¾" )

Ancient Egypt. Light green glazed faience amulet shows a triad of three Gods, Harpokrates, Isis, and Neith, traces of light blue. In Egyptian mythology, a "triad" is a group of three Gods that make up a family unit. Loop on the backside. Ptolemaic. 305-30 BC (1 ¾" x 1 ¼" )

Ancient Greek. Bronze reclining sphinx with an elaborate braided coiffure, the braided necklace draping across her naked breasts, a small rectangular platform resting on her back. Finely detailed with serene face. Green patina with a light earthen patina. 400 BC(3 ½" x 2 ½")

Thank you, and stay tuned for more updates from Sadigh Gallery!

Ancient Egyptian Scarabs

Common type of amulet, seal or ring bezel found in Egypt. Inscribed Scarabs were issued to commemorate important events or buried with mummies.  The Scarab is so called because it was made in the shape of the sacred Scarab beetle (Scarabaeus sacer), which was personified by KHEPRI, a sun God associated with resurrection.  The flat underside of the scarab, carved in stone or molded in faience or glass, was usually decorated with designs or inscriptions, sometimes incorporating a royal name.  

The earliest were purely amuletic and uninscribed; it was only during the Middle Kingdom (2055-1650 BC) that they were used as seals.  The term scaraboid is used to describe a seal or amulet, which has the same ovoid shape as a scarab, but may have its back carved in the form of some creature other than the scarab beetle.  This appears to have developed out of the practice of carving two-dimensional animal forms on the flat underside of the scarab, which is known as early as the First Intermediate Period (2181-2055 BC).

During the reign of Amenhotep III (1390-1352 BC), a series of unusually large scarabs were produced to celebrate certain events or aspects of Amenhotep’s reign, from the hunting of bulls and lions to the listing of the titles of Queen Tiy.  There were also a number of funerary types of scarabs such as the large “winged scarab”, virtually always made of blue faience and incorporated into the bead nets covering mummies, and the “heart Scarab", usually inscribed with Chapter 30B of the Book of the Dead which was included in burials from at least the 13th Dynasty (1795-1650 BC) onward.

An extensive collection of scarabs, ranging from tiny (½"-¾") faience scarabs to heart scarabs made of limestone, are available at Sadigh Gallery. While heart scarabs show beautiful inscriptions and symbols, simpler amulet scarabs are available at more affordable prices and are able to be redesigned on modern jewelry settings.  In fact, we have lapis lazuli, carnelian, and turquoise scarab amulets set on modern earrings, rings, or necklace settings, which are popular among Sadigh Gallery customers as gifts. 

Lapis lazuli scarabs pictured here are especially popular with our customers and are  available in quantity. Lapis is metamorphosed form of limestone, rich in the blue mineral lazulite, a complex feldspathoid that is dark blue in color and often flecked with impurities of calcite, iron pyrites or gold. The Egyptians considered that ‘its appearance imitated that of the heavens’ and considered it to be superior to all materials other than gold and silver.  They used it extensively in jewelry until the Late Period (747-332 BC) when it was particularly popular for amulets. 

Visit http://www.sadighgallery.com to see variety of scarabs available at our gallery!