The Kingdom of the Hittites is often described as ‘the land of a thousand Gods’ and, indeed, from contemporary texts we know of countless deities who were worshipped. While there is evidence for... Show moreThe Kingdom of the Hittites is often described as ‘the land of a thousand Gods’ and, indeed, from contemporary texts we know of countless deities who were worshipped. While there is evidence for the existence of large Hittite stat-Tues, none have ever been found. What happened to them? Show less
Throughout this study, we have explored the iconography and writing that the precolonial peoples of western Oaxaca, Mexico, mainly the Mixteca region, used between 400 years before Christ (BC) and... Show moreThroughout this study, we have explored the iconography and writing that the precolonial peoples of western Oaxaca, Mexico, mainly the Mixteca region, used between 400 years before Christ (BC) and 900 years after Christ (AD), that is, from the Middle Preclassic period (400 BC) to the end of the Classic period (900 AD), which corresponds to the first phase of urbanism in the Oaxaca region. Identifying the themes and narratives that are preserved in different archaeological monuments and deciphering their meaning through iconographic, epigraphic analysis, and documentation of their context, this study focuses on recognizing and interpreting the materialized memory of communities through archaeological objects. The purpose is to show how it is possible to reconstruct part of the ancient history of the communities in time, the life of its protagonists, the religious thought of the community, as well as the social and political environment in which they were formed. Show less
This article presents the Saqqara tomb of Ry, an army official who built his funerary monument in the immediate post-Amarna period (temp. Tutankhamun c. 1319–1310 BCE). The Leiden-Turin Expedition... Show moreThis article presents the Saqqara tomb of Ry, an army official who built his funerary monument in the immediate post-Amarna period (temp. Tutankhamun c. 1319–1310 BCE). The Leiden-Turin Expedition to Saqqara excavated this anonymous mud-brick tomb structure in 2013. Recent research revealed that various decorated limestone revetment blocks held in museum collections around the world derive from this tomb. They were removed by early excavators almost 200 years ago and formed part of the antiquities collections of prominent collectors such as Giuseppe Passalacqua and Henry Abbott. The dispersed tomb elements bearing texts and iconography are here contextualised and the funerary monument is analysed in the framework of the development of the Memphite New Kingdom necropolis. Show less
Saqqara, the prime necropolis site of Memphis in the New Kingdom, exists largely in museum collections around the world. The study of its dispersed blocks has enabled Nico Staring to unlock the... Show moreSaqqara, the prime necropolis site of Memphis in the New Kingdom, exists largely in museum collections around the world. The study of its dispersed blocks has enabled Nico Staring to unlock the identify of an anonymous tomb excavated in 2013. Show less
This is a study of the mandalas that depict the teachings of the Liqujing (Guiding Principle Scripture), which was translated from Sanskrit to Chinese by the Esoteric Buddhist master Amoghavajra ... Show moreThis is a study of the mandalas that depict the teachings of the Liqujing (Guiding Principle Scripture), which was translated from Sanskrit to Chinese by the Esoteric Buddhist master Amoghavajra (705–774). These mandalas were prescribed in his Liqushi (Explanation on the Guiding Principle Scripture). Amoghavajra considered this scripture, its commentaries, and mandalas to be crucial works in a new Esoteric Buddhist system he called the Yoga of the Adamantine Crown. I examine the set called the Liqujing shibahui mantuluo (Mandalas of the Eighteen Assemblies of the Guiding Principle Scripture) in Kyoto’s Daigo Temple. The Shingon school claims that the iconography is based upon Amoghavajra’s Liqushi. A systematic investigation of the Liqushi, the mandalas it prescribes and the iconography of the Daigoji set has not been done by Asian or Western scholars. I assign responsibility for the iconographical and iconological changes seen in the Daigoji set to the transmission of the Chinese master Faquan (c. 800–870), whose transmission has not yet been studied. I investigate the transmissions of Amoghavajra and the Chinese Esoteric Buddhist masters who followed him, especially Faquan. Such an investigation reveals the concerns of these masters and the Chinese assimilation and transformation of Indian Esoteric Buddhism. Show less
In 20e-eeuwse naslagwerken is niet veel geschreven over de cello in de Lage Landen in de 17e en 18e eeuw, wat doet denken dat het instrument in die tijd hier niet of amper gebruikt werd. Echter,... Show moreIn 20e-eeuwse naslagwerken is niet veel geschreven over de cello in de Lage Landen in de 17e en 18e eeuw, wat doet denken dat het instrument in die tijd hier niet of amper gebruikt werd. Echter, geschreven en pictoriale bronnen alsmede instrumenten en bladmuziek uit deze twee eeuwen geven wel informatie. Op basis hiervan kan gesteld worden dat de cello in de Nederlanden veel meer gebruikt werd dan gedacht. Er werden hier instrumenten gebouwd, er werden zeer veel afbeeldingen geproduceerd (schilderijen, maar ook bijvoorbeeld gebruiksartikelen zoals tegels, drinkglazen en zilver) en er is ook een substantiële collectie muziek voor cello gecomponeerd, zowel voor cello solo als cello continuo. De meest verrassende uitkomst van het onderzoek is wel dat er door veel cellisten in de 17e eeuw een andere streektechniek (n.l. onderhands) werd gebruikt dan in de 18e eeuw. Deze uitkomst wordt ondersteund door een overweldigende collectie afbeeldingen. Deze andere streektechniek resulteert in een andere klank en articulatie wat een ander karakter aan een muziekstuk geeft. Daarnaast is er uitgebreid onderzoek gedaan naar Alexis Magito, lid van een beroemde 18e-eeuwse Rotterdamse familie van voornamelijk kermisklanten maar ook van enkele musici. Alexis was cellist, componist en graveur. Tijdens dit onderzoek is veel informatie over zijn levensloop boven water gekomen. Twee van zijn cellosonates zijn door de promovenda op cd gezet. Conclusie: het onderzoek laat zien dat de cello ook in de Lage Landen wijdverbreid was en dat er vele verschijningsvormen en speelwijzen waren. Show less
The Zapotec Cocijo effigy vessels excavated from Monte Albán, Mexico are great in number and yet very little is known about the purpose and meaning of these objects. A lack of available data on the... Show moreThe Zapotec Cocijo effigy vessels excavated from Monte Albán, Mexico are great in number and yet very little is known about the purpose and meaning of these objects. A lack of available data on the provenance of the Cocijo effigy vessels causes difficulty for any sort of research that is conducted on them. Regardless, in this paper an attempt is made to formulate a different methodology through which these effigy vessels may be interpreted. Data on three effigy vessels originating from the same tomb on Monte Albán will be analysed in light of the Zapotec worldview during the Classic period (200CE -- 800CE) and the meanings that were ascribed to the primary directions within this worldview. The three vessels which are examined in this study are aligned with each other within the tomb and all are oriented with their face to the east, the realm of life, and their backs to the west, the realm of death. Therefore it is suggested that there exists a connection between the position and orientation of the in situ Cocijo effigy vessels and the worldview of the Zapotec people. Show less
