Antico - Venus as Spiritual Love (Venus Caritas) - Walters 541027 - De...
The artist's preoccupation with antiquity earned him his nickname. His patrons, the Gonzaga family of Mantua, sent him to Rome to study ancient sculpture so that he would be able to seek out antiquities for pur... More
Antoine-Louis Barye - Doe Lying Down - Walters 2730
This piece is cast. Public domain photograph of sculpture, statue, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Antoine-Louis Barye - Dog Pointing - Walters 2734
This piece is cast. Public domain photograph of sculpture, statue, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Cambodian - Seated Crowned Buddha in "Maravijaya" - Walters 542732
Many elements link this crowned Buddha to the Bàyon style: the gem in the palm, the beading at the edge of the robe, the vocabulary of the pedestal. Technical characteristics suggest a connection with the Phima... More
Egyptian - Figurine of a Male Dwarf - Walters 71534
Dwarfs played an interesting role in Egyptian society since Predynastic times. Dwarfism-a genetic condition characterized by unusually short stature and shortened limbs-is frequently represented in Egyptian tom... More
Egyptian - Head and Bust of a Woman - Walters 22261
This painted bust has the back of a chair broken off around the edge of the head. The piece is probably a forgery.
Egyptian - Head of a Man - Walters 22362
Images of men during the Ptolemaic Period are either idealized or realistic, showing lines and wrinkles. The so-called realistic images were not individual portraits, but were meant to represent a traditional ... More
Egyptian - Head of a Priest - Walters 22360
This head is carved in the round. The priest's head is shaven with a round top. The back of the head is broken off. This piece is stylistically somewhat different from the usual bald priest heads. The piece is... More
Egyptian - Kneeling Figure of Hor-wedja - Walters 2279 - Right
Hor-wedja was the son of Vizier Sasobek, the highest-ranking official during the reign of King Psammetichus I. Hor-wedja's son Meryptah commissioned this temple sculpture for him. Hor-wedja kneels, presenting o... More
Egyptian - Model Torso - Walters 2232 (2)
Sculpture models, such as this example, were used by artists in the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. This model appears to be complete, despite the lack of head, arms, and lower legs. The grid lines on the legs h... More
Egyptian - Nefertem - Walters 571476 - Right
The surface of this cast silver pendant representing Nefertem is very deteriorated but traces of the incised lines marking the shendyt and lotus blossom can still be seen. There is a suspension loop behind the ... More
Egyptian - Pendant, Squatting by Horus the Child - Walters 42198 - Lef...
This mold-made pendant of royal blue, glass-like faience (?) with some carved detail represents Horus-the-Child seated, knees drawn up, holding a broken flail over his left shoulder. Behind the neck is a loop f... More
Egyptian - Statue of a Standard Bearer - Hor-nakht - Walters 22105
Shown in the elaborate wig and gown of a New Kingdom courtier, Hor-nakht is depicted as a participant in a temple procession, carrying the standard of a ram-headed deity, perhaps Amen-re, in his left hand. The ... More
Egyptian - Statue of Amun-Re - Walters 54413 - Three Quarter Left
Amun was one of the most important deities in ancient Egypt. He was worshiped at Thebes (in southern Egypt) from the beginning of the Middle Kingdom (2046 BC). The Egyptians considered him to be "King of the Go... More
Egyptian - Thoth-Baboon - Walters 481543 (cropped)
The patron of scribes and deity of wisdom, Thoth was associated with the sun and the moon, traditionally the two "eyes" of the celestial-god Horus. The baboon, identified with Thoth, here holds a sacred Wedjat-... More
Egyptian - Zeus-Ammon - Walters 54984
The god is clothed in a "himation" (mantle) and has a long beard and the Egyptian composite crown of Amun-Re with ram horns, sun disk, two plumes, and a uraeus serpent on either side. He holds a thunderbolt in ... More
Etruscan - Male Athlete - Walters 542241
Anonymous (Etruscan). 'Male Athlete,' 4th century BC. bronze. Walters Art Museum (54.2241): Acquired by Henry Walters.
François Du Quesnoy - The Infant Christ with Instruments of the Passio...
The infant Christ, grave and meditative, reaches out to touch the crown of thorns, a painful symbol of his future sacrifice, beside which lie the whip with which he was tortured and bent nails drawn from the cr... More
Greco-Roman - Eros - Walters 541176
Anonymous (Greco-Roman). 'Eros ?,' 100 BC-200. bronze. Walters Art Museum (54.1176): Acquired before 1931.
Greek - Statuette of a Boxer - Walters 541006 - Back
This exquisitely modeled boxer demonstrates the sculptor's ability to realistically render the athletic physique. The figure also reveals the level of excellence Hellenistic artists achieved in small-scale scul... More
House of Fabergé - Gatchina Palace Egg - Walters 44500 - Open View B
Fabergé's revival of 18th-century enameling techniques, including the application of multiple layers of translucent enamel over "guilloché," or mechanically engraved gold, is demonstrated in the shell of the eg... More
Indian - Festival Image of Shiva - Walters 543084 - Reverse
Here, Shiva is at ease. He was once accompanied by a figure of his spouse Uma, who was seated on a similar pedestal. The antelope symbolizes (among other things) that Shiva is the "Lord of Creatures."
Italian - Hercules and Cacus - Walters 54248
In 1583, a marble statue group with the broken, entwined torsos of two muscular wrestlers was discovered in Rome. Sculptors tried to imagine compositions that would complete them, one being the struggle of Her... More
Olmec - Infantile Figure - Walters 20092064 - Three Quarter
Hollow figures portraying a seated person resembling an infant are unique to Olmec art, most examples coming from funerary and ritual deposits from the central Mexican highland states of Morelos and Puebla. Mos... More
Roman - Sword from an Equestrian Statue - Walters 54761
This sheathed sword was part of a Roman imperial monument that included a gilded bronze equestrian statue. The gilded bronze horse head nearby may have come from the same monument.
Roman - Youth of the Narcissus Type - Walters 2326
On better-preserved copies of the original statue, the youth is supported by a low pillar. His torso is off-balance, and his head would have been inclined forward and turned to the left, accentuating the S-curv... More
Sri Lankan - Standing Avalokitesvara - Walters 542826
This image is likely to have been an early import from Sri Lanka. An antelope skin has been thrown over the left shoulder.
Workshop of Gian Lorenzo Bernini - The Risen Christ - Walters 542281 -...
In 1673, Bernini was commissioned by Pope Clement X to design gilded figures of the twelve apostles and the Risen Christ to crown the tabernacle of the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Peter's Basilica. W... More
Antico - Venus as Spiritual Love (Venus Caritas) - Walters 541027 - Vi...
The artist's preoccupation with antiquity earned him his nickname. His patrons, the Gonzaga family of Mantua, sent him to Rome to study ancient sculpture so that he would be able to seek out antiquities for pur... More
Antoine-Louis Barye - Ocelot Carrying a Heron - Walters 27130
The cat is cast separately. Public domain photograph of sculpture, statue, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Antoine-Louis Barye - Roger and Angelica Mounted on the Hippogriff - W...
This subject is taken from Orlando Furioso, an epic poem set in the 9th century written by Ludovico Ariosto in 1516. Roger, a knight at the court of King Charlemagne, has rescued the princess of Cathay, who had... More
Aztec - Knotted Rattlesnake - Walters 292 - View B
Compact and smoothly polished, this rattlesnake displays typical Aztec sculptural techniques. Both the musculature of this snake's body and its head have been sculpted in great detail. The eyes were probably on... More
Dutch - Female Saint - Walters 27286
This carved wooden statue came from a church interior. Most statues of this type were originally covered by gesso (a mixture of glue and plaster of Paris) and then painted in vibrant colors, with some details ... More
Egyptian - Amulet-pendant, of Taweret - Walters 481555 - Right
Taweret, the "Great [female] One," was represented as a pregnant hippopotamus with lion paws and a crocodile tail. She was one of the most popular protective deities of ancient Egypt, being responsible for preg... More
Egyptian - Bust of a Man - Walters 22416
The end of the 25th Dynasty and the beginning of the 26th was a time of stylistic experimentation. Sculptors revived traditional forms, with modifications, and also created innovative decorations. The applicati... More
Egyptian - Head of a Priest - Walters 22358 - Three Quarter
This head is carved in the round. The priest's head is shaven with a flat top. His ears are broken off, and traces are polished away. His nose, mouth, and chin are restored.
Egyptian - Head of a Priest - Walters 2263
Presumably from a temple sculpture, this head represents an elderly man with individualized facial features. The statue to which it once belonged was probably quite traditional in its pose and execution. This p... More
Egyptian - Horus the Child - Walters 541983
Harpocrates or "Horus the Child" was the son of Isis and Osiris. He represents legal kingship as mythical successor of his father Osiris, who, in death, became Lord of the Netherworld. He was especially popular... More
Egyptian - Isis with Horus the Child - Walters 54416 - Three Quarter R...
For the ancient Egyptians, the goddess Isis was the model of the loyal wife and mother, as well as a powerful magician. She was the wife of the god Osiris and the mother of Horus. Just as the king of Egypt was ... More
Egyptian - Lioness Headed Goddess - Walters 481560 - Left
Lioness goddesses were powerful deities. Most popular were Sekhmet and Wadjet, both closely related to the sun-god. Representations of lioness-headed goddesses should protect their owner or donor. This amulet d... More
Egyptian - Man's Head with Curled Wig - Walters 2258
During the Old Kingdom, the tombs of courtiers and officials were usually placed near the pyramid complex of their monarch. These tombs, called "mastabas," typically contained one or more statues representing t... More
Egyptian - Model of a Male Face - Walters 22363
This model of a face has raised eyebrows and an incomplete beard. On the back is a circle design, scratched. The top is broken.
Egyptian - Standing Man - Walters 22227
This sculpture of a nude male figure has short hair with incised lines. His arms are in one with the body at his sides. There is a block for insertion under two feet.
Egyptian - Standing Osiris - Walters 22251
This sculpture depicts the mummified Osiris. His arms below the shoulders are not indicated. There is gilt on his face and ears, and white underneath. There is blue paint on the hair. The figure has a stencil o... More
Egyptian - Statue of Osiris on a Throne - Walters 22184 - Back
Osiris, considered to have been the first king of Egypt (and was representative of the human civilization and divine order), was murdered by his brother, Seth, (representative of the power of the world and unci... More
Egyptian - Statuette of a Kneeling King - Walters 542093 - Three Quart...
One of the main duties of the Egyptian king was to perform rituals for the gods. There are many representations which show him either standing or kneeling with offerings in his hands, or in a gesture of adorati... More
Egyptian - Statuette of a Male Dwarf - Walters 71504
Dwarfs played an important role in Egyptian society. Dwarfism-a genetic condition characterized by unusually short stature and shortened limbs-is frequently represented in Egyptian tomb reliefs and statues, and... More
Egyptian - Taweret - Walters 42217 - Left
Anonymous (Egyptian). 'Toeris w/knot in front of body,' . Red jasper. Walters Art Museum (42.217): Acquired by Henry Walters.
French - Holy Woman from a Crucifixion Group - Walters 27287
This piece is carved and painted. The paint has fallen off in places, and the hands and base have been restored.
Giambologna - Hercules Carrying the Erymanthian Boar - Walters 54679
The mythical Greek hero Heracles, known to the Romans as Hercules, was renowned for his great strength and the heroic deeds he performed, which were favorite subjects for painters and sculptors alike. Around 15... More
Giambologna - Lion Attacking a Horse - Walters 54669
A damaged but expressive Hellenistic marble sculpture of a "Lion Attacking a Horse" in Rome (now in the garden of the Palazzo dei Conservatori) offered a challenge to artists to figure out how it originally loo... More
Greek - Pedagogue and Boy - Walters 481934
A pedagogue was an adult male who supervised the moral and social education of a young boy. In Hellenistic times, boys and girls attended privately funded elementary schools, but formal education beyond this le... More
Greek - Pegasos Ornament from a Chariot - Walters 54882 - Three Quarte...
This ornament of the foreparts of the winged-horse Pegasos decorated a pole that would have connected a chariot to a horse. Careful modeling and incised decoration create a detailed representation of this mythi... More
Greek - Seated Muse or Nymph on Rock (Adaptation of Urania Type) - Wal...
The Muses were the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory) and were associated with various arts: Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Euterpe (flute-playing), Terpsichore (lyric poetry and dance), Era... More
Harpocrates - Walters 71506 - Egypt
This finely modeled figure of the young god Horus-the-Child (called Harpocrates by the Greeks) shows him, as ususal, sucking his finger. He wears the typical juvenile sidelock, but also has short curly hair, in... More
Italian - Bust of a Man Form the Antique Marble Known as Head of Diome...
This cast bronze is after a marble head in the British Museum, a Roman copy of Pergamene Gaul, found in Italy in 1771 and formerly in the Towneley Collection.
Japanese - Peasant Girl - Walters 252 - Installation
Anonymous (Japanese). 'Peasant Girl,' ca. 1915. wood. Walters Art Museum (25.2): Acquired by Henry Walters, 1915.
Praenestine - Cista Handle in the Form of a Man Somersaulting - Walter...
Cistae were containers used to safeguard precious objects, including mirrors, perfume flasks, and cosmetics. A particular type of cista was made during the 4th and 3rd centuries BC in Praeneste, a site in Latiu... More
Roman - Head of a Goddess - Walters 23146 - Three Quarter Left
This head is a fragment of one of the finest existing replicas of Phidias' statue known as the "Hera Borghese." The preeminent sculptor of Athens in the High Classical period, Phidias was also the creator of th... More
Roman - Head of Eros - Walters 2325 - Three Quarter Right
The delicate modeling of this piece makes it one of the finest surviving copies of the Eros from the sanctuary at Thespiae by the celebrated master sculptor Lysippus. In that statue, Eros was shown stringing hi... More
Sinú - Standing Figure of a Mother and Child - Walters 482853 - Three ...
Public domain photograph of family portrait, mother and child, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Thai - Head of the Buddha - Walters 2579
Among the stucco fragments found in the central sanctuary tower at Wat Phra Phai Luang are both long-faced and round-faced heads. There are good reasons for considering these sculptures early Sukhotahai. This... More
Akhenaten (1351-1334) - Walters 2288
This female head has an elongated skull, and is probably a child of Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten (1351-1334 BCE). The eye is hollow for inlaying. The piece is broken across the neck, and is a forgery executed in the ... More
Antoine-Louis Barye - African Elephant Running - Walters 2755
This piece is cast. Public domain photograph of a bronze sculpture, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Chinese - The Bodhisattva Guanyin - Walters 541345
This statue is the product of an independent kingdom in southwestern China. It represents Guanyin [Kuan-yin] (Avalokitesvara), the Bodhisattva of compassion, holding a flask (for holy water) and a willow branc... More
Egyptian - Amun - Walters 571978 - Right
This pendant is cast in round, and depicts Amen, the cosmic and state god of Egypt. The figure of Amun is striding.
Egyptian - Block Statue of Kha-em-Waset - Walters 2268
This piece is a small serpentine, New Kingdom, block statue of Kha-em-Waset. Kha-em-Waset was a noble who held the titles of Fan-Bearer and Chief of Works in the Temple of Amun. This statue would have been plac... More
Egyptian - Head and Bust of a Woman - Walters 22408
This statue of a woman wears a painted cloak tied in front at her breast. She has a Roman coiffure and costume.
Egyptian - Ipi and His Wife - Walters 2276 - Three Quarter
This seated figure has his knees drawn up and his arms on his knees. At his side is a kneeling figure with the upper part broken off. There are inscritions on the fronts of the garments and on the back.
Egyptian - Isis with Child Horus - Walters 22137 - Right
This calcite-alabaster, travertine statue depicts Isis with the child Horus. Isis has a uraeus on her forehead and a long wig and the original crown is missing. She wears a collar. Her upper left arm is broken off.
Egyptian - Kneeling Figure of Hor-wedja - Walters 2279 - Three Quarter...
Hor-wedja was the son of Vizier Sasobek, the highest-ranking official during the reign of King Psammetichus I. Hor-wedja's son Meryptah commissioned this temple sculpture for him. Hor-wedja kneels, presenting o... More
Egyptian - Monkey Shaped Game Piece - Walters 71512 - Top
This monkey, seated, with its right paw supporting its head, left paw on the genitals, is carefully designed to look as through it had been carved from an astragal (knucklebone). The prototypes for such objects... More
Egyptian - Onuris Amulet - Walters 42344 - Back
This amulet features Onuris standing and holding a spear in a green and white banded agate. This was probably made during the 26th Dynasty.
Egyptian - Prophet of Sobk Standing Against a Pillar - Walters 22202
This statuette is broken off below the knees. The man depicted has a long shendyt with a fold and tie at the waist. The piece is inscribed on the rear column and on both sides.
Egyptian - Seated Goddess Rayet-tawy (Rat-taoui) - Walters 2282
Walters 22.82 is a seated limestone statue of the goddess Rayet-tawy. She was a female form of the sun god and was also goddess of the Two Lands. There is some discoloration and pitting in the stone. There a... More
Egyptian - Seated Servant - Walters 2217 - Three Quarter
This carved seated figure has his riht knee raised with his left foot pressed against his right. His right hand is forward and has a hole to receive an object. His arms are joined with wood pins. His flesh is ... More
Egyptian - Statue of a Crocodile with the Head of a Falcon - Walters 2...
This may represent the god Horus the Elder, who is occasionally shown with a falcon head and a crocodile body, or a combination of the crocodile-god Sobek with the sun-god Re. A crowning element once completed the work.
Egyptian - Statue of Nephthys - Walters 22255 - Back
In an ancient myth, Osiris was murdered by his evil brother Seth and mourned by his wife Isis and her sister Nephthys. Isis restored Osiris's body, and he became a symbol of resurrection. Nephthys participated ... More
Etruscan - Pyxis and lid with sphinx-shaped handle - Walters 71489 - T...
This pyxis (box) was fashioned in imitation of Phoenician luxury goods imported from the Near East. Although it incorporates many Near Eastern elements in its decoration, including sphinxes, a lotus plant, and ... More
French - Mourner - Walters 27339
In a remarkable expression of realism, the artist conveys the "weight" of personal grief through the rhythmic interplay of heavy folds of drapery. The mourner's face is carved, but it would not have been visibl... More
German - Virgin and Child - Walters 71246 - Back
The standing Virgin originally held the Child on her right arm: her left hand is outlined against her garments. Her eyes are small and show carved pupils. The remains of the broken Christ Child were carved away... More
Greek - Statuette of a Boxer - Walters 541006 - Detail A
This exquisitely modeled boxer demonstrates the sculptor's ability to realistically render the athletic physique. The figure also reveals the level of excellence Hellenistic artists achieved in small-scale scul... More
House of Fabergé - Gatchina Palace Egg - Walters 44500 - Closed
Fabergé's revival of 18th-century enameling techniques, including the application of multiple layers of translucent enamel over "guilloché," or mechanically engraved gold, is demonstrated in the shell of the eg... More
Mayan - Dwarf Figurine - Walters 20092036
Dwarfs were important members of royal Maya courts. They are portrayed serving food, playing musical instruments, holding sacred objects for the ruler, and as diviners and scribes. Their elevated social roles w... More
Olmec - Seated Figurine - Walters 482796 - Three Quarter
NaN Public domain photograph related to Olmecs, Mesoamerica, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Orazio Mochi - African Court Jester - Walters 543083 - Back
This statuette is wonderful for the expressiveness of the modeling and the figure's powerful physique, so clearly influenced by Michelangelo's monumental marbles, "Bound Captives." It is a striking example of h... More
Susse Frères - Mysterious and Veiled Nature Reveals Herself Before Sci...
Barrias, who was noted for his female allegorical figures, produced a nude version of this subject in white marble for the Faculty of Medicine at Bordeaux in 1893. Six years later, responding to the renewed int... More
Thai - Standing Buddha in "Abhayamudra" - Walters 542803
Although the position of the hand might suggest that this image was made earlier, 13th century bronzes seem to offer nothing really close in expression. The firmness and sobriety of this expression suggest a s... More
Cambodian - Shiva and Uma on the Bull Nandi - Walters 542947
Here is the Hindu god Shiva with his spouse, as they appear in their mountain paradise.
Egyptian - Amulet of Pataikos on Crocodiles - Walters 481602 - Right
This dwarf-like, protective deity was very popular in ancient Egypt; amulets in the shape of this god were particularly popular from the Third Intermediate period. The Greek name Pataikos comes from a passage i... More
Egyptian - Baker Djehuty and Wife Ahhotep - Walters 22164
A funerary image for the couple's tomb, this sculpture was meant to function as a dwelling place for their spirits. Relief images of the couple's two sons appear on the sides of the seat.
Egyptian - Head of a King - Walters 54391
The king wears a war helmet with a bronze uraeus at the front. The eyes are inlaid with black and white enamel. The helmet is cemented to the head, it may not be original. The beard is missing.
Egyptian - Horus the Child, Seal Squatting Child - Walters 42207 - Lef...
This squatting Horus Child may have been used as a seal.
Egyptian - Isis with Child Horus - Walters 22137 (2)
This calcite-alabaster, travertine statue depicts Isis with the child Horus. Isis has a uraeus on her forehead and a long wig and the original crown is missing. She wears a collar. Her upper left arm is broken off.
Egyptian - Kneeling Figure of Hor-wedja - Walters 2279
Hor-wedja was the son of Vizier Sasobek, the highest-ranking official during the reign of King Psammetichus I. Hor-wedja's son Meryptah commissioned this temple sculpture for him. Hor-wedja kneels, presenting o... More
Egyptian - Kneeling Woman - Walters 541621
Likely part of a larger composition, this statuette may have held an offering tray or another figure. The face has elegant features, and the wig is meticulously worked. A mourning figure, it could have been pla... More
Egyptian - Male Figure - Walters 22254
This figure has short, plain hair. His right arm is at his side, and his hand is clenched. His left arm is bend, and his left hand is on his breast. He wears a long skirt. His left foot is smaller than his righ... More
Egyptian - Man Standing - Walters 22364
Hard stone statues were highly valued in ancient Egypt and were only available to the elite. This figure of a man in a long shendyt, with both hands flat on the thighs in a gesture of prayer, was likely placed ... More
Egyptian - Standing Nehemet-Away - Walters 571479 - Left
This cast silver pendant represents the goddess Nehemet-Away standing with her hands at her side. She has a "uraeus" on her wig, and wears a sistrum, (her symbol) as a crown. There is a large loop behind the si... More
Egyptian - Statue of a Standing Khonsu - Walters 54395 - Three Quarter
Khonsu could be represented either as a youth or a falcon-headed male with a moon-disk and crescent on his head, as here. He is mentioned as a moon god in the pyramid texts as early as the 3rd millennium BC. As... More