Exploring the long river of history, you can often find those precious cultural relics that subvert traditional perceptions. This article will take you through 30 rare artifacts, each of which is even more stunning than the previous one.
An important and very rare bronze intarsia square pot jar. Warring States period, 4th-3rd centuries BC. Sold for $2,760,000 at Christie's in 2022.
An important and rare ancient bronze ritual wine vessel (Fang Yi), late Shang Dynasty, Anyang, sold for $882,000 at Sotheby's in 2022.
A gold-inlaid bronze tiger charm (tiger talisman) with an inscription, Qin dynasty, sold for $869,400 at Sotheby's in 2022.
A bronze reliquary shaped like a sarcophagus. China, Tang Dynasty, 8th century AD
Bactrian camel ceramic sculpture. China, Tang Dynasty, 8th century AD
Sandalwood chairs. China, Qing Dynasty, XVIII century
Bronze cauldron and platform with spoon. Hubei, China, 8th-6th century BC
A gilded bronze statue of the Buddha. China, Ming Dynasty, XVI-XVII centuries
Embroidered round silk cushion. China, Qing Dynasty, 1780-1850
A jade plaque depicting two eagles. China, Shijiahe culture, 2200 BC
Bronze wine vessel with a raised protrusion. China, c. 1000 BC
The roof ornament resembles a green Hulk holding a club. China, 17th century
Festos Disk, 2nd millennium BC. A disc fired from clay with inscriptions of unknown characters and languages. Its use and original place of manufacture are still debatable. Discovered in Crete in 1908. It is now on display at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.
Telescope made of gold, glass, and agate, England, circa 1750-1800.
Ceremonial armor of the Molos. Philippines, 1800-1850
A gold plate chest ornament in the shape of a vulture. New Kingdom period of Egypt, Eighteenth Dynasty, reign of Thutmose III, circa 1479–1425 BC. Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Helmet in the shape of a conch shell ~ Tojiro Mitsumasa Nagasone (Japan, 17th century)
Swimming woman styling make-up spoon holding a plate (1390 BC) - Egypt
Beautifully decorated Roman wine glasses with reliefs. Two different chariot drivers are depicted on the walls of the glass container, or the same chariot driver is depicted in two different photographs during the race. The item dates back to the 1st century AD.
Adag Holy Grail - The heart of the Ardag Treasure, believed to be from the 8th century. It was discovered in 1868 by two young boys and is now on display at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin and is considered one of the greatest works of island art known and extant.
A pair of terracotta ovens with slots for kebabs, 17th century BC, Akrotiri.
Ring, Egypt, probably Ptolemaic period (332-30 BC)
Necklace, 2nd-3rd century, Rome
Bragança brooch - a gold fibula from Latano, Spain, from the 3rd century BC. A Celtic warrior is depicted defending himself from what experts believe to be a dog.
Scarab beetle bracelet from Tutankhamun's tomb, dating back to the 14th century BC. The tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun of the 18th Dynasty was discovered in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter.
The peak of Mount Nemrut in Turkey. At the top of the hill stand several large statues of King Antiochus I of Comagini, presumably located around a royal mausoleum. 1st century BC.
Temple of Luxor, Ancient Thebes (1400 BC)
War shirt (1875 → 1885) - United States
A type of Japanese war fan called a "military fan". c. 1700. This special fan has a blade hidden inside.
A painting shows how to fend off the kappa, a Japanese mythical creature, by farting. The painting was painted in 1881 by Yoshini Tsukioka