At the height of the Hellenistic age, when Greek
culture was spread throughout the
Mediterranean, this elegant vessel may have
contained fragrant oils or perfumes. It was
perhaps offered as a votive at some temple or
shrine. As we hold it in our hands today,
admiring its simple beauty, we are aware of the
touch of other hands long ago. Who might have
held it when it was new? Were the dreams and
emotions that guided their lives so very different
from our own? The vessel's graceful unadorned
shape appeals as much to the contemporary eye
as it did to the culture that created it. Such
artifacts, ordinary enough in their own age,
connect us in an intimate way with the world of
the past. In its presence, we cross the bridge of
time and set the imagination on a journey of
discovery.
- (PF.1576)
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