Antiquities and Ancient Art

Newark Museum Offers Twin-bill of Roman and Egyptian Antiquities

For visitors to Newark, NJ, this fall, you have twice as many reasons to visit the Newark Museum.

First, is the new exhibition After the Pharaohs: Art of Coptic Egypt 300-1000 AD, which runs through November 28.  In the multi-cultural society of Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, the mix of cultures produced an art that used classical mythological themes as well as Egyptian motifs, and subjects that reflected a growing Christian presence. The Newark Museum’s collection includes not only a great variety of the colorful textiles for which this period in Egypt is famous, but also sculpture, bronzes, terracottas, ivories and a rare panel painting on wood. Selected loans from The Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Kelsey Museum at The University of Michigan augment this exhibition.

Second, the museum has placed on display two important Roman portrait busts on temporary loan from the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, CA. One bust is an over-life-sized imperial portrait of Emperor Lucius Verus, who ruled for a short eight years. The second is of an unidentified energetic middle-aged man who is thought to be an important Roman official.

Often overlooked by those heading to The Metropolitan or the Brooklyn Museum, the Newark Museum is a wonderful relaxing experience that is easy to digest and enjoy. With two more great reasons for antiquities collectors, this fall would be the perfect time to enjoy this treat.

Wall Street Journal Says Wealth Managers are "Bullish on Art"

Today's Wall Street Journal (Aug 19-20 Weekend Edition), says there is an increasing trend among wealth managers to advise on art along wth stocks.

"Wealth managers are getting bullish on art," the article says, and are beefing up services and in-house resources to help clients naviagte the art market.  Such services are not just available to the ultra-rich. "Plenty of art moves at prices less then $10,000," says the report.

"The heightened appreciation for art as an investment is driven largely by rising prices at auctions," the paper reports.  "Art can reduce rick in a client's portfolio, as research shows it has a low correlation with stocks and bonds....(referred to) as the 'second beauty' of art."

Lost Archimedes' Ancient Writings Revealed with New Technology

"Previously hidden writings of the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes are being uncovered with powerful X-ray beams nearly 800 years after a Christian monk scrubbed off the text and wrote over it with prayers," according to reports from the Associated Press today.

"Over the past week, researchers at Stanford University's Linear Accelerator Center in Menlo Park have been using X-rays to decipher a fragile 10th century manuscript that contains the only copies of some of Archimedes' most important works."

"The X-rays, generated by a particle accelerator, cause tiny amounts of iron left by the original ink to glow without harming the delicate goatskin parchment. It takes about 12 hours to scan one page using an X-ray beam about the size of a human hair, and researchers expect to decipher up to 15 pages that resisted modern imaging techniques. After each new page is decoded, it is posted online for the public to see, according to the AP."  Click here for the full story.

A dedicated website has been set up for scholars and interested parties can see each of the new pages as it is revealed by the particle accelerator.