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Bronze head covered with a hammered gold-leaf mask. China, Shu culture, excavated from Sacrificial Pit 2 at Sanxingdui, c. 1200–1050 BCE

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Bronze head covered with a hammered gold-leaf mask. China, Shu culture, excavated from Sacrificial Pit 2 at Sanxingdui, c. 1200–1050 BCE

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Sanxingdui head with gold foil mask: they were a civilization in China contemporary, but culturally different from Shang, the bronze age Chinese. They're known for their very distinctive and "un-Chinese" art style.

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Sanxingdui head with gold foil mask: they were a civilization in China contemporary, but culturally different from Shang, the bronze age Chinese. They're known for their very distinctive and "un-Chinese" art style.

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A one-foot-wide bronze mask and bronze vessel containing cowrie shells dating to about 1100 B.C.E from excavations at Sanxingdui in China's Sichuan Province. Courtesy Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

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A one-foot-wide bronze mask and bronze vessel containing cowrie shells dating to about 1100 B.C.E from excavations at Sanxingdui in China's Sichuan Province. Courtesy Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

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Gold mask. Sanxingdui, China, 900-1000 BC

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Gold mask. Sanxingdui, China, 900-1000 BC

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A bronze helmet with animal mask pattern, and a bronze broadsword with cicada pattern, both unearthed in 1989 from the Dayangzhou Chengjia site. 1200 BCE, Wucheng culture, now housed at the Jiangxi Provincial Museum in China

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A bronze helmet with animal mask pattern, and a bronze broadsword with cicada pattern, both unearthed in 1989 from the Dayangzhou Chengjia site. 1200 BCE, Wucheng culture, now housed at the Jiangxi Provincial Museum in China

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The 3.96-meter-tall bronze sacred tree with a dragon curling up the trunk, and leaves, fruit and birds on the branches. Found in the Sanxingdui archaeological site, c. 1700-1150 BCE, now housed at the Sanxingdui Museum in China

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The 3.96-meter-tall bronze sacred tree with a dragon curling up the trunk, and leaves, fruit and birds on the branches. Found in the Sanxingdui archaeological site, c. 1700-1150 BCE, now housed at the Sanxingdui Museum in China

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Bronze Cowrie Container. A currency vessel decorated with a crowded scene of 127 miniature figures performing a human sacrifice. China, Western Han - Dian Kingdom, 202 BCE-8 CE

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Bronze Cowrie Container. A currency vessel decorated with a crowded scene of 127 miniature figures performing a human sacrifice. China, Western Han - Dian Kingdom, 202 BCE-8 CE

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Bronze wine pitcher with animal mask patterns. Lid missing. China, Shang dynasty, 1200-1000 BC

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Bronze wine pitcher with animal mask patterns. Lid missing. China, Shang dynasty, 1200-1000 BC

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A golden ring from Ugarit, in Syria, engraved with the phrase "the free woman". Late Bronze Age , now housed at the National Museum of Damascus

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A golden ring from Ugarit, in Syria, engraved with the phrase "the free woman". Late Bronze Age , now housed at the National Museum of Damascus

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A gold dress-pin with a blue, spherical fluted glazed composition bead at the head. From Cyprus, 1550-1050 BCE, now housed at the British Museum

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A gold dress-pin with a blue, spherical fluted glazed composition bead at the head. From Cyprus, 1550-1050 BCE, now housed at the British Museum

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Young attendant wearing gold headdress and jewelry of gold, lapis lazuli, carnelian and shell from the royal cemetery of Ur 2550-2450 BCE. She is one of 68 female sacrifices found beneath the burial of Queen Puabi in the great "death pit" excavated in 1934.

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Young attendant wearing gold headdress and jewelry of gold, lapis lazuli, carnelian and shell from the royal cemetery of Ur 2550-2450 BCE. She is one of 68 female sacrifices found beneath the burial of Queen Puabi in the great "death pit" excavated in 1934.

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Head of a sacrifice bull from the 1st century BCE. Object from Octodurus .

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Head of a sacrifice bull from the 1st century BCE. Object from Octodurus .

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A phoenix-shaped bronze architectural component from the Han Dynasty , Shanxi Bronze Museum, China

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A phoenix-shaped bronze architectural component from the Han Dynasty , Shanxi Bronze Museum, China

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Bronze spearhead with gold and turquoise inlays from Zhou dynasty China, 5th century BC

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Bronze spearhead with gold and turquoise inlays from Zhou dynasty China, 5th century BC

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Painted beaker with dancing figures. China, Xindian culture, 2000-1500 BC

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Painted beaker with dancing figures. China, Xindian culture, 2000-1500 BC

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An arrowhead, made of bronze, with Phoenician inscription; it bears the name 'Zakarbaal'. From Beqaa valley, Lebanon , 11th c. BCE ca. Housed at the Beirut museum

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An arrowhead, made of bronze, with Phoenician inscription; it bears the name 'Zakarbaal'. From Beqaa valley, Lebanon , 11th c. BCE ca. Housed at the Beirut museum

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A painted lacquer 'snake' cup and cover. From China, Warring States Period , sold at Bonhams in 2022

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A painted lacquer 'snake' cup and cover. From China, Warring States Period , sold at Bonhams in 2022

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A jade standing horned figure from China, Hongshan Culture, 4700-2500 BCE

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A jade standing horned figure from China, Hongshan Culture, 4700-2500 BCE

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A pottery bottle from the Songze culture . Now housed at the Jiaxing Museum in China

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A pottery bottle from the Songze culture . Now housed at the Jiaxing Museum in China

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