Antiquities Highlights - Ancient Mediterranean Art

This object package features highlights from The Ringling’s collection of ancient Mediterranean art. The majority of the ancient collection was purchased by John Ringling in 1928. The objects range in date from the Early Bronze Age to the Late Roman Period (ca. 2500 BCE to 500 CE). The strength of the collection is art from the island of Cyprus – located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea – which Luigi Palma di Cesnola (1832-1904) unearthed in temples and tombs when he was American Consul there from 1865 to 1876. Included here is a range of objects – from stone statues to carved gems, from ceramic bowls to gold jewelry – that highlight the attention to detail and expressive qualities typical of ancient Cypriot art. The Ringling is currently developing plans for a gallery dedicated to the art of the ancient Mediterranean which will be installed in the next few years.