-
25,000 BCE
Apollo 11 Stones
Namibia
c. 25,500 - 25,300 B.C.E.
Charcoal on stone -
24,000 BCE
Venus of Willendorf
c.24,000 - 22,000 B.C.E
Limestone -
15,000 BCE
Great Hall of the Bulls Cave paintings
Lascaux, France.
15,000-13,000 B.C.E.
Rock painting -
14,000 BCE
Camelid sacrum
Tequixquiac, Mexico,
14,000–7000 B.C.E.,
Bone -
6000 BCE
Running Horned Woman
Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria
6000 - 4000 B.C.E
Pigment on rock -
4200 BCE
Beaker with ibex motif
Susa, Iran
4200--3500 B.C.E.
Painted terra-cotta -
3500 BCE
White Temple and its ziggurat
Uruk (modern Warka, Iraq)
Sumerian
c.3500-3000 B.C.E.
Mud brick -
3300 BCE
Jade Cong
Liangzhu, China,
3300-2200 B.C.E.
Carved jade -
3000 BCE
Anthropomorphic stele
Arabian Peninsula
4th millennium B.C.E
Sandstone -
3000 BCE
Palette of Narmer
Predynastic Egypt
c.3000-2920 B.C.E.
Greywacke -
2700 BCE
Statues of votive figures
From the Square Temple at Eshnunna (modern Tell Asmar, Iraq)
Sumerian
c.2700 B.C.E.
Gypsum inlaid with shell and black limestone -
2620 BCE
Seated scribe
Old Kingdom, Fourth Dynasty
c.2620-2500 B.C.E.
Painted limestone -
2600 BCE
Standard of Ur from the Royal Tombs at Ur
Modern Tell el-Muqayyar, Iraq
Sumerian
c.2600-2400 B.C.E.
Wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone -
2550 BCE
Great Pyramids and the Great Sphinx
Giza, Egypt
Old Kingdom, Fourth Dynasty
c.2550-2490 B.C.E.
Cut limestone -
2500 BCE
Stonehenge Wiltshire
UK Neolithic Europe
c.2500-1600 B.C.E
Sandstone -
2490 BCE
King Menkaura and queen
Old Kingdom, Fourth Dynasty
c.2490-2472 B.C.E.
Greywacke -
1792 BCE
The Code of Hammurabi
Babylon (Modern Iran)
Susian
c.1792-1750 B.C.E.
Basalt -
1500 BCE
Ambum Stone
Enga Province, Papua New Guinea
1500 B.C.E
Greywacke -
1500 BCE
Temple of Amun-Re and Hypostyle Hall
New Kingdom, 18th & 19th Dynasties
Karnak, near Luxor, Egypt
Temple: c.1550 B.C.E.
Hall: c.1250 B.C.E.
Cut sandstone and mud brick -
1473 BCE
Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut And kneeling sculpture
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty
Near Luxor, Egypt
c.1473-1458 B.C.E.
Sandstone, partially covered into a rock cliff, and red granite -
1353 BCE
Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and three daughters
New Kingdom (Amarna), 18th Dynasty
c.1353-1335 B.C.E.
Limestone -
1323 BCE
Tutankhamun’s tomb, innermost coffin
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty
c.1323 B.C.E.
Gold with inlay of enamel and semiprecious stones -
1275 BCE
Last judgment of Hu-Nefer, from his tomb
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty
c.1275 B.C.E.
Painted papyrus scroll -
1200 BCE
Tlatilco female figurine
Central Mexico
1200 - 900 B.C.E
Ceramic -
1000 BCE
Terra cotta fragment
Solomon Islands, Reef Islands
1000 B.C.E
Terra cotta -
720 BCE
Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II
Dur Sharrukin (modern Khorsabad, Iraq)
Neo-Assyrian c.720-705 B.C.E.
Alabaster -
600 BCE
Athenian Agora
Archaic through Hellenistic Greek
600 B.C.E. - 150 C.E.
Plan -
530 BCE
Peplos Kore from the Acropolis
Archaic Greek
c.530 B.C.E.
Marble, painted details -
530 BCE
Anavysos Kouros
Archaic Greek
c.530 B.C.E.
Marble with remnants of paint -
520 BCE
Audience Hall (apadana) of Darius and Xerxes
Persepolis, Iran Persian
c.520-465 B.C.E.
Limestone -
520 BCE
Sarcophagus of the Spouses
Etruscan.
c.520 B.C.E.
Terracotta -
510 BCE
Temple of Minerva (Veii, near Rome, Italy)
Etruscan.
c.510-500 B.C.E.
Original temple of wood, mud brick, or tufa (volcanic rock) -
510 BCE
Sculpture of Apollo, Veii
Master sculptor Vulca
Etruscan.
c.510-500 B.C.E.
Terracotta -
480 BCE
Kritios boy
c.480 B.C.E.
Marble -
480 BCE
Tomb of the Triclinium
Tarquinia, Italy.
Etruscan.
c.480-470 B.C.E.
Tufa and fresco -
460 BCE
Niobides Krater
Anonymous vase painter of Classical Greece known as the Niobid Painter.
c.460-450 B.C.E.
Clay, red figure technique -
450 BCE
Doryphoros (Spear bearer)
Polykleitos
Original 450-440 B.C.E.
Roman copy (marble) of the Greek original (bronze) -
447 BCE
Parthenon
Iktinos and Kallikrates
c.447-410 B.C.E.
Marble -
447 BCE
Acropolis
Iktinos and Kallikrates
c.447-410 B.C.E.
Marble -
410 BCE
Grave Stele of Hegeso
Attributed to Kallimachos
c.410 B.C.E.
Marble and paint -
300 BCE
Great Stupa at Sanchi
Madhya Pradesh, India
Buddhist; Maurya, late Sunga Dynasty
c. 300 B.C.E.-100 C.E.
Stone masonry, sandstone on dome -
200 BCE
House of the Vettii
Pompeii, Italy
Imperial Roman
c. 2nd Century B.C.E.
Cut stone and fresco -
190 BCE
Winged Victory of Samothrace
Hellenistic Greek
c.190 B.C.E.
Marble -
180 BCE
Funeral banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui)
Han Dynasty, China
c. 180 B.C.E.
Painted silk -
175 BCE
Great Altar of Zeus and Athena at Pergamon
Asia Minor (present-day Turkey).
Hellenistic Greek.
c.175 B.C.E.
Marble -
100 BCE
Seated Boxer
Hellenistic Greek
C.100 B.C.E.
Bronze -
100 BCE
Alexander mosaic from the House of Faun, Pompeii
Republican Roman
c.100 B.C.E.
Mosaic -
100 BCE
Augustus of Prima Porta
Imperial Roman
Early 1st Century C.E.
Marble -
75 BCE
Head of a Roman patrician
Republican Roman
c.75-50 B.C.E.
Marble -
70
Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater)
Rome, Italy.
Imperial Roman.
70-80 C.E.
Stone and concrete. -
106
Forum of Trajan
Rome, Italy.
Apollodorus of Damascus.
Forum and markets.
c.106-112 C.E.
Brick and concrete. -
118
Pantheon
Imperial Roman.
118-125 C.E.
Concrete with stone facing. -
221
Terra cotta warriors from mausoleum of the first Qin emperor of China
Qin Dynasty.
c. 221-209 B.C.E.
Painted terra cotta -
250
Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus
Late Imperial Roman.
c.250 C.E.
Marble. -
400
Petra, Jordan: Treasury and Great Temple
Nabataean Ptolemaic and Roman
c. 400 B.C.E - 100 C.E.
Cut rock -
400
Buddha
Bamiyan, Afghanistan Gandharan
c. 400-800 C.E. (destroyed in 2001)
Cut rock with plaster and polychrome paint -
400
Gold and jade crown
Three Kingdoms Period
Silla Kingdom, Korea
Fifth to sixth century C.E.
Metalwork -
493
Longmen caves
Luoyang, China.
Tang Dynasty.
493-1127 C.E.
Limestone -
631
The Kaaba
Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Islamic.
Pre-Islamic monument
Rededicated by Muhammad in 631-632 C.E.
Multiple renovations Granite masonry, covered with silk curtain and calligraphy in gold and silver-wrapped thread -
641
Jowo Rinpoche, enshrined in the Jokhang Temple
Lhasa, Tibet.
Yarlung Dynasty.
Believed to have been brought to Tibet in 641 C.E.
Gilt metals with semiprecious stones, pearls, and paint; various offerings -
691
Dome of the Rock
Jerusalem.
Islamic. Umayyad.
691-692 C.E., with multiple renovations
Stone masonry and wooden roof decorated with glazed ceramic tile, mosaics, and gilt aluminum and bronze dome. -
700
Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh)
Isfahan, Iran.
Islamic, Persian: Seljuk, Il-Khanid, Timurid and Safavid Dynasties
c. 700 C.E.; additions and restorations in the 14th, 18th & 20th centuries C.E.
Stone, brick, wood, plaster, and glazed ceramic tile -
700
Nan Madol
Pohnpei, Micronesia
Saudeleur Dynasty
c. 700-1600 C.E.
Basalt boulders and prismatic columns -
743
Todai-ji
Nara, Japan
743 C.E.; rebuilt c. 1700
Wood with ceramic-tile roofing -
750
Borobudur Temple
Central Java, Indonesia
Sailendra Dynasty
c. 750-842 C.E.
Volcanic-stone masonry -
785
Great Mosque
Córdoba, Spain.
Umayyad
c. 785-786 C.E.
Stone masonry -
800
Angkor, the temple of Angkor Wat, and the city of Angkor Thom, Cambodia
Hindu, Angkor Dynasty
c. 800-1400 C.E.
Stone masonry, sandstone -
900
Folio from a Qur’an
Arab, North Africa or Near East Abbasid.
c. eighth to ninth century C.E.
Ink, color, and gold on parchment -
930
Lakshmana Temple
Khajuraho, India.
Hindu, Chandella Dynasty
c. 930-950 C.E.
Sandstone -
968
Pyxis of al-Mughira
Umayyad
c. 968 C.E.
Ivory -
1000
Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja)
Hindu
India (Tamil Nadu)
Chola Dynasty
c. 11th century C.E.
Cast bronze -
1000
Conical tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe
Southeastern Zimbabwe
Shona peoples
c. 1000-1400 C.E.
Coursed granite blocks -
1000
Travelers among Mountains and Streams
Fan Kuan
c. 1000 C.E.
Ink and colors on silk -
1066
Power figure (Nkisi n’kondi)
Kongo peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
c. late 19th century C.E.
1066 - 1067 CE
Wood and metal -
1100
Moai on platform (ahu)
Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
c. 1100-1600 C.E.
Volcanic tuff figures on basalt base -
1200
Great Mosque of Djenné
Mali
Founded c. 1200 C.E.; rebuilt 1906-1907
Adobe -
1250
Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace
Kamakura Period, Japan
c. 1250-1300 C.E.
Handscroll (ink and color on paper) -
1320
Basin (Baptistère de St. Louis)
Muhammad ibn al-Zain
c. 1320-1340 C.E.
Brass inlaid with gold and silver -
1330
Bahram Gur Fights the Karg, folio from the Great Il-Khanid Shahnama
Islamic
Persian, Il-Khanid
c. 1330-1340 C.E.
Ink and opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper -
1351
The David Vases
Yuan Dynasty, China
1351 C.E.
White porcelain with cobalt-blue underglaze -
1354
Alhambra
Granada, Spain.
Nasrid Dynasty
1354-1391 C.E.
Whitewashed adobe stucco, wood, tile, paint, and gilding -
1400
Forbidden City
Beijing, China.
Ming Dynasty.
15th century C.E. and later
Stone masonry, marble, brick, wood, and ceramic tile -
1400
Portrait of Sin Sukju (1417-1475)
Imperial Bureau of Painting
c. 15th century C.E.
Hanging scroll (ink and color on silk) -
1480
Ryoan-ji
Kyoto, Japan
Muromachi Period, Japan
c. 1480 C.E.; current design most likely dates to the 18th century
Rock garden -
1500
Wall plaque, from Oba’s palace
Edo peoples, Benin (Nigeria)
16th century C.E.
Cast brass -
1522
The Court of Gayumars, folio from Shah
Tahmasp’s Shahnama
Sultan Muhammad
c. 1522-1525 C.E.
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper -
1539
The Ardabil Carpet
Maqsud of Kashan
1539-1540 C.E.
Silk and wool -
1568
Mosque of Selim II
Edirne, Turkey
Sinan (architect)
1568-1575 C.E.
Brick and stone -
Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings
Bichitr
c. 1620 C.E.
Watercolor, gold, and ink on paper -
Taj Mahal
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Masons, marble workers, mosaicists, and decorators working under the supervision of Ustad Ahmad Lahori, architect of the emperor.
1632-1653 C.E.
Stone masonry and marble with inlay of precious and semiprecious stones; gardens -
Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool)
Ashanti peoples (south central Ghana)
c. 1700 C.E.
Gold over wood and cast-gold attachments -
‘Ahu ‘ula (feather cape)
Hawaiian
Late 18th century C.E.
Feathers and fiber -
Staff god
Rarotonga, Cook Islands, central Polynesia
Late 18th to early 19th century C.E.
Wood, tapa, fiber, and feathers -
Female deity
Nukuoro, Micronesia
c. 18th to 19th century C.E.
Wood -
White and Red Plum Blossoms
Ogata Korin
c. 1710-1716 C.E.
Ink, watercolor, and gold leaf on paper -
Ndop (portrait figure) of King Mishe
miShyaang maMbul
Kuba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
c. 1760-1780 C.E.
Wood -
Lukasa (memory board)
Mbudye Society, Luba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
c. 19th to 20th century C.E.
Wood, beads, and metal -
Navigation chart
Marshall Islands, Micronesia
19th to early 20th century C.E.
Wood and fiber -
Reliquary figure (byeri)
Fang peoples (southern Cameroon)
c. 19th to 20th century C.E.
Wood -
Ikenga (shrine figure)
Igbo peoples (Nigeria)
c. 19th to 20th century C.E.
Wood -
Buk (mask)
Mid to late 19th Century
Torres Strait (islander People)
Maubiag Island
25 in
Turtle shell, wood, fiber, feathers, and shell -
Aka elephant mask
Bamileke (Cameroon, western grassfields region)
c. 19th to 20th century C.E.
Wood, woven raffia, cloth, and beads -
Bundu mask
Sande Society, Mende peoples (West African forests of Sierra Leone and Liberia)
19th to 20th century C.E.
Wood, cloth, and fiber -
Female (Pwo) mask
Chokwe peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Late 19th to 20th century C.E.
Wood, fiber, pigment, and metal -
Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as the Great Wave, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji
Katsushika Hokusai
1830-1833 C.E.
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper -
Hiapo (tapa)
Niue
c. 1850-1900 C.E.
Tapa or bark cloth, freehand painting -
Tamati Waka Nene
Gottfried Lindauer Maori (Nga-ti-toa tribe)
Auckland National Art Gallery
1890 C.E.
Oil on canvas
40.1’’ x 33.1’’ -
Portrait mask (Mblo)
Baule peoples (Côte d’Ivoire)
Early 20th century C.E.
Wood and pigment -
Malagan display and mask
New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea
c. 20th century C.E.
Wood, pigment, fiber, and shell -
Veranda post of enthroned king and senior wife (Opo Ogoga)
Olowe of Ise (Yoruba peoples)
c. 1910-1914 C.E.
Wood and pigment -
Presentation of Fijian mats and tapa cloths to Queen Elizabeth II
Fiji, Polynesia.
1953 C.E.
Multimedia performance (costume; cosmetics, including scent; chant; movement; and pandanus fiber/hibiscus fiber mats), photographic documentation