The Ancient World in Art
Ritual vessel in the shape of a rhinoceros, 1100–1050 BCE, Shang dynasty, bronze, China, 9 × 9 × 14 ½ in. Asian Art Museum, San Francisco. Photo: © Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
Discover how art shaped ancient civilizations across the world through c. 500 CE
From the art of ancient Egypt and Nubia to early China, Imperial Rome, and the Andes, the art of the ancient world continues to resonate today. The ancient world influences modern design and popular culture, inspires religious and mythological storytelling, informs archaeological science, and connects us to shared human questions: identity, power, death, beauty, and memory.
Our materials about the ancient world cover the following:
Statuette of a Male Worshipper, Votive Figurine, Sumerian, Early Dynastic Period (c. 2900–2600 BCE), gypsum alabaster, shell, black limetstone, bitumen, from the Square Temple of Eshnunna (modern Tell Asmar), 11 5/8 x 5 1/8 x 3 7/8 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. © Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
Asia
Ancient China: From Shang bronze vessels to Han dynasty tombs, ancient Chinese art blends ancestor worship, ritual practices, and power in objects of bronze, jade, silk, and lacquer.
Early Imperial China: During the Qin and Han dynasties, art like the Terracotta Army, jade carvings, silk paintings, and tomb murals expressed imperial power and cosmic order.
Ancient Japan: Early Japanese art, from Jōmon pottery to Kofun tomb sculptures, reflects ritual practices, social hierarchy, and connections across East Asia.
Ancient West Asia: From ziggurats to cylinder seals, Mesopotamian art shows how the world’s first cities used architecture, sculpture, and writing to celebrate gods and kings.
Ancient South Asia: Stupas, carved pillars, and early temple art reveal South Asia’s innovations in religion, philosophy, and storytelling through Buddhist and Hindu traditions.
Ceramic urn in the shape of a priest with attributes of Xipe Totec, from Tomb 103, Monte Alban, Oaxaca, Zapotec culture, Monte Alban IIIb. National Museum of Anthropology. © Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
North and South America
Early Mesoamerica: Olmec heads, Maya temples, and Zapotec tombs show how civilizations in Mesoamerica created powerful works of art tied to ancestors, rulers, agriculture, and astronomy.
Ancient Andes: The Ancient Andes, from Chavín and Paracas to Nazca and Moche, produced textiles, ceramics, metalwork, and monumental architecture that reveal religious traditions and hierarchies.
Canopic Jars, c. 900–800 BCE, Third Intermediate Period, limestone with paint, Araba al-Madfuna (Abydos), Egypt. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. © Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
Africa
Ancient Egypt and Nubia: The art of ancient Egypt and Nubia includes pyramids, temples, and funerary art that reveal religious beliefs and political power.
Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, 161–180 CE, bronze, 424 cm high. Capitoline Museums, Rome. © Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
Europe
Ancient Europe: Celtic metalwork, Greek temples, and Roman engineering are just a few of the influences that shaped the diverse art of ancient Europe.
