Historical

All designs below are available in a variety of finishes. Photos may not be available for every combination, but they can be made at request.

The finishes are:

ANTIQUATED

BLACK & GOLD

KUSAMONO POT

COLOURED

PURE WHITE

Egyptian

Lady of Grace

One of the most notable Queens of Egypt's golden age was Nefertari, the Great Royal Wife of Ramesses II. So beloved was she that Ramesses had a temple of surpassing beauty built for her at Abu Simbel, and her tomb in the Valley of the Queens is the largest and most elaborately decorated.

This image comes from that tomb, designated QV66, and is a 3D representation of a brightly coloured wall painting. It dates to approximately 1,250 BC and is a strongly representative of art and fashion at the height of Egypt's wealth.

An Offering of Kings

At the peak of Egyptian splendour was Horemheb, General of the Army under Tutankhamun and raised to Pharaoh following his death. He is shown here wearing the traditional Blue Crown, known popularly as the 'War Crown' due to the frequency it is worn into battle, as well as the ceremonial leopard skin often seen with High Priests.

This carving dates to approximately 1,300 BC and details the offering of incense and unguent to the gods. The associated hieroglyphs request that he be considered "like Ra" and be given life, power, stability and good health. Only just visible are the wingtips of the mother goddess Mut, who flies above the Pharaoh and offers her protection.

Divine Mother

The Egyptian goddess Mut, known as the Divine Mother, was the patron of the royal family and protector of mothers everywhere. Our modern society may have prejudices against vultures, but the Egyptians saw their maternal side in how tenderly they reared their chicks.

Mut is often depicted flying above the Pharaoh, her wings spread protectively above him, and usually holding either a cartouche of his name or the regalia of kingship.

Goddess of Harmony

Displayed here in her winged magnificence, the goddess Ma'at embodies the concept of universal balance. Her name translates broadly to "The rightness of the world upon its creation", and it's her power that ensures day follows night and order triumphs over chaos. She is the scales upon which the soul's heart is weighed to grant entry into the afterlife, as seen most famously in the Book of the Dead.

She is one of only five traditionally winged Egyptian goddesses - the others being Isis, Nephthys, Neith, and Selket.

Omnipotence

Among the most recognisable images to come out of Egypt is the Eye of Ra (alternatively called the Eye of Horus). It represents the omnipotence of the god as he casts his vision across the land, winging across miles with a single thought. It is shown here preceded by the sun-crested uraeus serpent, a protective device seen exclusively among gods and Pharaohs.

The Eye was originally the sun-god Ra's source of magical power until Isis, desperately trying to save her son's life from snakebite, tricked Ra into passing the Eye to the young Horus, thus saving his life. Horus grew into a powerful god as a result, and the Eye became intrinsically associated with healing.

The King's Birthright

The winged serpent is named Wadjet and is one half of a coupling known as “The Two Ladies”. Between them, Wadjet and Nekhbet represented the whole of Egypt, with Wadjet presiding over Lower Egypt (the north) while the vulture-goddess Nekhbet embodied the south (Upper Egypt). She wears the Deshret crown, called the Red Crown, while Nekhebet traditionally wears the White Crown.
Her wings spread protectively over Osiris, who represents Pharaonic power both in life and extending into the afterlife. He carries the crook and flail of royal regalia and is shown in his mummified form.
One of the most famous depictions of Wadjet rests upon the deathmask of Tutankhamun, the cobra that rears up from the centre of his forehead. For the young King to have featured her so prominently upon his most valuable possessions shows just how important this goddess was in ancient times.

Hawk of Gold

One of the prevailing images from Egypt’s early days of civilisation was the Hawk of Gold. It traces back to the ‘Golden Horus’ title, one of the five traditional Pharaonic names, and dates back to at least the 1st Dynasty (~3100 – 2900 BC).
Here we have the hawk-god Horus perched upon the hieroglyph for gold, with the royal flail extending from his back. Horus was the predominant royal deity for much of the Egyptian civilisation and the Pharaoh was seen as his living embodiment, the avatar by which Horus ruled upon earth.
Gold was considered a divine metal due to its untarnished nature, and was believed to be the literal skin of the gods. By incorporating this into their royal titulary, the Pharaohs were attempting to associate themselves even more closely with the Egyptian pantheon and affirm their divine right to rule.

Wargod of the Sky

There are few gods more closely tied to royalty within the Egyptian pantheon than Horus, the hawk-headed son of Osiris and Isis. He is shown here with the solar disk upon his brow and wings outstretched in a pose of protection.
Held in his hand are three relics, the most recognisable of which is the ‘ankh’, the symbol of life. The ankh is mounted on the ‘was-sceptre’, an animal-headed staff that symbolised dominion over the whole land. And lastly, he holds a symbolic representation of the curved Egyptian ‘khopesh’ sword to signify strength and prowess.
It’s far more common for Egyptian goddesses to be depicted with wings in this pose, but this image is clearly calling upon the ferocity of a wargod to protect the Pharaoh in battle.

The King of Battle

A common representation of the Pharaoh’s power and battle prowess comes from the depiction of the ruler in the form of a human-headed lion, bedecked in royal regalia and ready to crush his opponents. He wears the White Crown of Upper Egypt, known as the Hedjet, which is flanked by two ostrich plumes – a style that closely associates him with the god Osiris. Hanging from it are four uraeus-serpents, aggressive protectors of the throne who were thought to come alive and strike at the Pharaoh’s enemies.
The fan upon his back symbolises the movement of air, perhaps demonstrating the speed and agility of the King, or more generally representing the breath of life within him. A similar image was found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, carved upon a ceremonial shield, and dates to 1333-1323 BC.

Divine Protection

The Egyptian goddess Mut, known as the Divine Mother, was the patron of the royal family and protector of mothers everywhere.
In this depiction she holds a staff comprised of three amulets. The most recognisable is the ‘ankh’, the symbol of life. It rests upon the ‘djed’, the symbolic backbone of Osiris and great pillar of the sky that denoted stability and strength. Lastly, within her talons she holds a ‘shen’, a protective knotted loop of cord that eventually evolved into the cartouche design that encircles all Pharaohs’ names to indicate that they are divinely protected.

Pharaoh Tuthmosis

This carving fragment dates to 1,470 BC and was originally attached to the mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari (originally called Djeser Djeseru, "Holiest of Holies"), depicting Hatshepsut's father, Tuthmosis I.
The Pharaoh is shown here wearing one of Egypt's most elaborate crowns, comprising of ram's horns, ostrich feathers, the sun disk and various protective uraeus-serpents. It is likely that Hatshepsut designed this image in memory of her late father, who was considered one of Egypt's finest rulers.

Theban High Society

To the south of the Valley of the Kings lies the Tombs of the Nobles, and it is within Theban Tomb 55 that Ramose leaves us elegant paintings and carvings of everyday life for a nobleman of Egypt's wealthy capitol. Here Ramose is bedecked with the most fashionable of wigs, necklaces and armbands while holding a posy of fragrant flowers to his nose.

This image dates to 1,375 BC and is characteristic of the opulence and fashion seen within Egypt's golden age.

God of the Earth

Ram-headed god Khnum was one of Egypt's oldest creator deities. He is intrinsically associated with the clay that was washed down with the Nile's flood each year, and therefore the patron god of potters. Humankind was said to have been created by him on his potter's wheel and he was thought to have protected the source of the Nile.

Central American

Shield of the Sun

K'inich Janahb' Pakal, known today as Lord Pacal, sprang to renown with the opening of his pyramid tomb in 1952, revealing carvings which have become iconic among Mayan historians. His Temple of Inscriptions at Palenque was the culmination of an estimated 70 years of rulership.

This carving is an extract of Stele 124, the 'Palace tablet', and shows Lord Pacal seated on one of the stones of creation while making a presentation of a headdress to his son, K'inich K'an Joy Chitam II (Kan Xul II). The stelae is from the Late Classical Period and dates to approximately AD 700.

Godhead

This head glyph, believed to represent the Mayan sun god K'inich Ajaw, is likely related to the 52-year cycle of the Mayan Calendar Round. He is shown here with his usual characteristics; being bearded, fanged, square-eyed and with the glyph for 'Day' (kin) upon his brow. Also displayed is a jaguar's ear at the back of his head, as he was believed to transform into a feline at the coming of night to travel through Xibalba, the land of the dead.

K'inich Ajaw was the patron deity of the day known as Muluc, day 9 of the 20 day week, and he was closely associated with warriors, rulers and jaguars.

Vision Serpent

Vision serpents are often depicted being summoned by kings and nobles during the Mayan self-sacrifice bloodletting rituals, whereby the supplicant's own blood would be sprinkled upon sacred paper that was then burned to produce the smoke from which the vision serpent would emerge.

The serpent was seen as the means by which ancestors or deities could communicate directly with the living world, so the vision serpents are often depicted with a human head emerging from their open jaws, usually gesturing with a hand to indicate wisdom being bestowed.

Day of Ill Omen

This calendar glyph represents a flint knife (Tecpatl), which was said to rule over both specific days and weeks of the Mayan calendars. These were thought to be times of particularly ill omen, ruled over by the chaotic gods Smoking Mirror and Jade Turkey.

Ce Tecpatl was the birth date of the Aztec wargod, Huitzilopochtli, and on this day a great festival was held in his honour, presumably involving sacrifices dispatched with the Tecpatl knife. Also on this day in AD 1168, the Aztec people set out from their ancestral home to migrate to the area now known as Mexico City under the guidance of their god of war.

Serpent-Tooth Spear

This carving is a reproduction of a wooden 'atlatl' spear-thrower on display in the British Museum. It is believed to date between AD 1325 - 1521 and due to the high level of intricacy and decoration of gold foil, it was most likely a ceremonial item rather than functional.

The use of serpent imagery on such a weapon was designed to invoke the speed and power of a snake's deadly strike when used in attack.

Feathered Serpent

Quetzalcoatl, the 'Feathered Serpent', is among the most well-known of the Aztec gods, beloved for his benevolence and protection against the chaotic Tezcatlipoca. He was said to have brought civilisation to the Aztec people, although was eventually defeated in battle by Smoking Mirror and fled across the sea, promising to return. Many people link the coming of the Spanish Conquistadors to the Aztec's belief that their benign deity had kept his word, citing this as the reason the Spanish were initially welcomed with elaborate celebrations.

This carving comes from the ancient capitol Tenochtitlan, now known as Mexico City. It is dated to AD 1519-1539 and is believed to have been carved to commemorate the rebuilding of the Great Temple.

Jaguar's Heart

This Aztec design of a jaguar eating a human heart is found on the Platform of the Eagles at Chichén Itzá. Supernatural entities such as were-jaguars were an important part of Aztec belief, very likely influenced strongly by the preceding Olmec culture, famous for their monolithic head monuments. Among the fiercest and most respected of the Aztec fighters were the Jaguar Warriors, which this carving possibly represents, eating the heart of his vanquished foe.

In the Belly of the Beast

This carving, depicting Monument 19 from La Venta, is believed to be the earliest representations of Quetzalcoatl, the 'Feathered Serpent' god. The human within his coils is alternately believed to either be a warrior or ballgame player undertaking a journey to the underworld by passage through the Path of the Feathered Serpent, or be the anthropomorphic embodiment of Quetzalcoatl himself.

It dates from approximately 700-400 BC and is classed as an example of Middle Formative Olmec artwork.

The Dancing Sacrifice

(Coming soon)

Montezuma's Royal Coronation

These glyphs are a re-organisation of the lower half of the original coronation stone of Montezuma II, known popularly as the 'Stone of the Five Suns'. It is dated to AD 1503 and marks the ascension of the last crowned Aztec ruler before the Spanish conquest.
The glyphs call upon the creative and destructive forces of the universe, embodied in various gods and natural elements. The two middle glyphs represent rain and power, the jaguar being associated with water since the time of the Olmecs. The cross at the apex refers to the end of the Fifth Age of the Sun through movement, and the lowest glyph gives the date of '11 Reed'.
Fifteen years after this stone was carved the expansion of the Aztec culture was halted by the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors, and the stone's prediction of catastrophe did indeed come to pass.

Quetzalcoatl's Coming

This Aztec carving, dated to the 15th century, celebrates the birth of Quetzalcoatl, known as one of the Aztec's most benevolent gods. Quetzalcoatl is represented as the Feathered Serpent and as a sun god he was seen as the protector against the chaotic god, Tezcatlipoca (Smoking Mirror). He was instrumental in the creation of mankind as well as being responsible for introducing the concept of civilisation.
Many variations of his birth exist both in art and literature, the most well-known being his virgin birth from a human mother by the name of Chimalman. This carving is likely a depiction of that divine birth myth.

Mesopotamian

The Lion Hunts

Several identical reliefs were found bedecking walls in Persepolis, ancient Iran, emphasising the importance of this image. This lion hunt scene represents not just a natural act of hunter and prey, but also the changing of the seasons with the sun-linked lion devouring the moon-associated bull. The life and death struggle between the lion and bull continues to be a strong image within Zoroastrian mysticism and is celebrated yearly in the Nowruz festival.

Solar Lord

Countless images of the sun-god Anu in his solar chariot exist, many showing the Father of the Gods holding a bow, perhaps in acknowledgement as his role as judge and protector. The winged sun is an image that is shared by both Mesopotamia and Egypt, in both countries symbolising power, royalty and continuance.

Blessings of the Fish God

This image has been found from the walls of temples and palaces to carved on personal amulets, such was the appeal of the god's blessing. The deity shown here is Enki (or possibly a personification of him), sometimes called Ea, who was one of the most benevolent of the Mesopotamian pantheon. Often he is shown lifting an object to the lips of a human, possibly a fruit from the mesu-tree which was thought to impart long life.

Bull of Heaven

(Coming soon)

Demon of the Storm

(Coming soon)

Greco-Roman

Dancer Under an Ancient Sky

The ancient Greeks were well-known for their love of dance, and they portrayed this beautifully with images of their performers in graceful poses with flowing robes. Even thousands of years old, this dancer seems just moments away from twirling to some distant memory of song.
She holds the double-flute (aulos) aloft as she performs, clearly caught up in the rhythm of her melody. The aulos was used widely in ancient Greece, not just for entertainment, but also as an accompaniment during sporting events and even to usher soldiers into battle.
Plato once banned the use of the aulos, linking it to the ecstatic cults such as that of Dionysus.

The Horse and His Boy

This carving shows a young Grecian man, barely more than a boy, riding a large horse. He is possibly training to become a Hippeus, an ancient class of horsemen. He rides bareback and in a plain tunic without armour, so despite being mounted on what appears to be a heavy warhorse, it seems unlikely that he rides towards battle.

The Hippeis were the Grecian cavalry of ancient times, and were generally well-respected citizens of high standing. Within Sparta they were originally a mounted honour guard of 300 young men.

The Sealord in His Chariot

The Lord of the Seas rides regally atop the waves in his chariot, drawn by the foaming wavecrests in the form of horses. Poseidon was one of the eldest of the twelve Olympian deities and was said to have a fondness for horses, in some myths being regarded as their father. He was a particularly important god to the ancient Greeks, who relied heavily on sea travel.

Musings of a War Goddess

The original ancient carving is commonly known as 'Mourning Athena', but I prefer to think the goddess is simply resting from battle, contemplating the war before her. It is dated to 460 BC and was found within the Acropolis of Athens.
It is an evocatively calm pose for a goddess who was so closely tied with action. Athena was both the protector of her patron city as well as the goddess of all heroic deeds, and as such is often shown girded for war.

Goddess of the Bountiful Harvest

Demeter, mother of Persephone who was taken to Hades, was venerated as the goddess of fertility and harvest. She is often shown with stalks of wheat, flowers or berries woven within her hair to emphasise her close associations with the earth and living things.

She and her daughter were intrinsically tied to cycles, with Persephone's descent into Hades representing both the cycle of life and death as well as the lesser cycle of seasons.