Greek and Roman Antiquities and Pre-Columbian and Asian Art

Torso of Aphrodite Roman, AD Second Century Marble, 34 inches high Gift of the Stuart Society of the Museum of Fine Arts 95.3 Classical Greek female nudes are usually identified as Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Venus, the Roman mythological counterpart, was widely reproduced in miniature and monumental sizes, and in diverse media, including stone, bronze, and terracotta. Because they were popular in imperial Rome, Venuses became generic representations of feminine charm, for these statues capture the moment when a woman, mortal or divine, is glimpsed performing her private rituals of bathing and dressing. Since many Greek sculptures have not survived, Roman copies provide a means to study their predecessors. Some female nudes such as those by the Athenian sculptor Praxiteles (Fourth Century B.C.) provide a more realistic depiction than the idealized figures of the Fifth Century B.C. His Aphrodite of Knidos (no longer extant) is a prime example. In the Museum's work, strongly related to a Venus de Milo-type figure, Aphrodite stands with her weight on her right leg, while the left leg is slightly bent. The drapery, which does not completely cover the body, draws attention to the figure's gentle pose.

Gold Effigy Beaker (Kero) Peru, Sicán/Batán Grandes Area of Lambayeque Valley, Middle Chimú, c. 950-1250 Gold hammered and embossed, 7 3/4 inches high Gift of Dr. Mark Sheppard 77.3 This kero (or beaker) of beaten gold was created by the indigenous Chimú culture of northern Peru prior to its domination by the Inca in the fifteenth century. Gold was highly prized by the Peruvians and was even thought to be the congealed "tears of the gods." The artistry required to fashion such a large container with ornate relief elements represents this culture's highly skilled metal-working tradition. The design of the beaker is well suited to its shape. When inverted, the lower embossed band serves as a collar, and the two bands at the top become a flat cap. Several gold keros of this type bear upside-down faces. Only when empty can these beakers be placed bottom-side up to display the face of the god.

Svetambara Jaina (or Jain) Household Shrine India, Gujarat, Patan, c. 1800 Carved and painted wood, 98 1/2 x 69 1/2 x 32 inches Gift of Louis E. Seley and sons Hervey and Elliott, Jr. 66.18 Jainism was founded by the Sage Mahavira (599-527 BC), a contemporary of Buddha. The religion, dedicated to asceticism and total non-violence, survives to this day though it has far fewer followers than the older Hindu religions. This shrine is one of only seven currently known to be held in museum collections worldwide. It was probably used for worship in an affluent Jaina family and displays a number of iconographic features. Behind the closed doors was the sacred image, or icon, of one of the twenty-four holy men of the Jaina religion. Celebratory religious figures dancing and playing musical instruments adorn the shrine. They reflect the joy with which the family member would approach the icon housed in the shrine.