Curators: Ofra Rimon, Rachel Shchori
Exhibition Opening: November 1999
A view of the exhibitionFrom the beginning of human civilization, animals have played an important role in the life of human beings; animals have always attacked or are hunted by humans, provided food, transportation, and material for clothing, and been guardians, companions, and sources of pleasure and amusement for humans.
The variety of animal characteristics, such as strength, elusiveness, elasticity, cruelty, and grace, captured the eye of the ancient artist. As a result, we find animals depicted throughout the history of ancient art as parts of utensils, toys, furniture, jewelry, and other artifacts used in daily life. Dr. Leo Mildenberg’s collection of animal artifacts is proof of this magical attraction, which fascinated artists in ancient times.
The catalogue
The animal figures - in paintings, sculptures, and reliefs - in the Mildenberg Collection are not mythological or imaginary creatures. Rather, they present the animals as they really are. The Mildenberg Collection, which began approximately 50 years ago, includes several hundred items from the Ancient Near East, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, across the 4th millennium BCE up to the 1st millennium CE.
This exhibition concentrates on a selection of items representing two main subjects. The first group of items developed from cultic needs: animals representing deities, their attributes, or companions, and animals adorning vessels or artifacts used in cultic practice. The second group contains items that were intended for viewing pleasure and daily use.