Lost and Found
Collecting Antiquity at Kenyon College
The objects in this exhibition, selected from a bequest of David P. Harris (’46) and long-term loans from the estate of Boris Blick, range in size, material, and geographic origin. The Blick-Harris Study Collection is held by the Art History Department, independent of the Gund. This exhibition provides an opportunity to examine both the modern acquisition of ancient artifacts and the greater ramifications of such acquisitions.
Many of the works featured in the exhibition are domestic in nature. The artifacts demonstrate the quotidian life of a Roman in the late antique period (loosely defined as the 2nd century CE to 5th century CE). Originating from all corners of the empire, terracotta lamp fragments, coins, textile fragments, and other featured objects also allow viewers to get a sense of what material appealed to the collectors.
Many of the exhibition’s artifacts lack detailed provenance. Unprovenanced works, sometimes dubbed “orphans”, were often removed from their findspots illicitly, violating local and international laws. Collecting creates a market for such objects, incentivizing looting and destroying archaeological context. Unprovenanced works also raise the issue of authenticity — how do we differentiate forgeries? While controversial, keeping these poorly provenanced objects together puts them in conversation with each other and preserves their legacy. University collections, if proper precautions and ethical guidelines are adhered to, can be a suitable home for orphaned antiquities.
The photographic archives of Kenyon professors Denis Baly (1913–1987) and Barker Newhall (1867–1924), also featured in this exhibition, are additional examples of antiquity collected at Kenyon. The questions raised by these collections are in dialogue with the Gund’s exhibition of William E. Jones’ Fall Into Ruin and Villa Iolas. The student curators invite you to consider these issues as you enjoy the works in this exhibition.
1. Writing Tablet with Lion Motif
Egypt, 6th–9th centuries CE
Wood and red paint
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.188
Purchased by David P. Harris from Julia Schottlander (Tetragon) in 1992. Said to be from an 1880s collection.
Melted wax hardens, styluses etch, and users reheat and repeat. This wooden device was one side of a hinged two-panel tablet, called a diptych. Its reverse side functioned like a modern-day notebook, and the obverse as ornament. Common inscriptions included clerical lists, school assignments, and religious texts.
2. Carved Figure in Bone Fragment
Egypt, 4th–6th century CE
Bone
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.149
Purchased by David P. Harris from Julia Schottlander (Tetragon) in 1991. Said to have come from the collection of Videan(?), a French journalist in the Indochina Wars.
Who is this swaying figure casting a look to the side? This carved plaque could depict a Dionysian dancer or a winged mythological figure. During this time, bone and ivory carvings were commonly used to adorn objects like funerary beds and medicine boxes in elite homes, often promoting health and wellness.
Collectors and Dealers
How and why did this collection of ancient artifacts end up at Kenyon College? David P. Harris ’46 and Boris Blick were college professors who took joy in collecting and learning about antiquities. Private collectors of antiquities often acquire artifacts whose provenance is either unknown, or purposefully undocumented due to their illicit looting and exportation. The collections of Harris and Blick were driven by their interest in antiquity and items used by the everyday person. However, the majority of objects they purchased lack provenance.
Harris (1925–2019), Kenyon Class of ’46, was a linguistics professor at Georgetown University. His Fulbright travels to Greece and conversion to Greek Orthodoxy influenced his interest in collecting ancient art, and his earliest purchases were icons he encountered during his travels. Artifacts acquired from international dealers Christopher Martin-Zakheim and Julia Schottlander (object nos. 1 and 2) lack provenance; while they tell us something about his academic interests and dealer connections, we know nothing about their original contexts.
Blick (1922–2005) was a history professor at the University of Akron. After his retirement in 1993, he began purchasing small, metal objects centered around his interest in classical antiquities. With limited funds, he acquired objects of low cost from local antique shops. His daughter, Professor Sarah Blick, commented that her father’s collection brought him joy in his retirement, and remembers his attitude towards collecting as “full of curiosity.”
3. Lamp Fragment with Peacock
Tunisia, 4th–7th century CE
Terracotta, African Red Slip Ware
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.283
Purchased by David P. Harris from Julia Schottlander (Tetragon) in 1992.
Surrounded by a repeating motif of birds and palm trees, an abstracted peacock stands on one foot. It faces towards the lamp handle, away from the flame. The peacock, which sheds and regrows its feathers every year, is a Christian symbol for the beauty of God’s creation and resurrection. The palm tree references Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, also recalling the story of his Resurrection.
4. Fragment of Plate with Jonah Under the Gourd Vine
Tunisia, 320–360 CE
Terracotta, African Red Slip Ware
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.289
Purchased by David P. Harris from Julia Schottlander (Tetragon) in 1992.
Swallowed and regurgitated by a whale after disobeying God, Jonah reclines in the gourd vine’s shade. This fragment depicts one scene from Jonah’s Old Testament book, though the original object likely depicted the other events of his story, collectively known as the Jonah cycle. Here, the prophet decorates a type of pottery that might have had practical culinary uses.
5. Lamp with Cross
Tunisia, 4th–5th centuries CE
Terracotta, African Red Slip Ware
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.312
Purchased by David P. Harris from Julia Schottlander (Tetragon) in 1992.
This lamp features a short handle at one end, a large opening for the wick at the opposite end, and two small holes at the center that were used to fill the lamp’s reservoir with oil. Two terracotta fragments in this exhibition (nos. 3 and 6) were once part of lamps that had a shape similar to this one.
6. Lamp Fragment Depicting the Lamb of God
Tunisia, 3rd–6th centuries CE
Terracotta, African Red Slip Ware
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.284
Purchased by David P. Harris from Julia Schottlander (Tetragon) in 1992.
The Lamb of God stands protected at the center of this piece, defended by symbolic Christian and pagan motifs to ward off evil. Lamps with this burnt orange color were unique to the region of Tunisia and mass produced. Most commonly found in households, they were used as a lighting source and as a medium to portray religious ideals through the use of various motifs.
7. Fragment from a Lanx with Evangelist and Tau-Rho Cross
Tunisia, 375–425 CE
Terracotta, African Red Slip Ware
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.370
Collected by David P. Harris; date and source unknown.
Pottery like the serving dish this fragment belonged to was produced in modern-day Tunisia and was common among all social classes, cultures, and religions throughout the Roman Empire. African Red Slip Ware remained popular until the 7th century. This piece depicts the apostles Peter and Paul flanking a cross and surrounded by ivy borders. Where it was found is unknown.
Orphan Antiquities
In the archaeological world, “orphan antiquities” have three meanings. The most common definition refers to objects that lack clear findspots (where an item was dug up) or provenance (the modern possession record). Collectors’ demand for antiquities leads to the widespread looting of archaeological sites and causes irreparable damage. Orphan antiquities, stolen and sold illicitly, lack archaeological context. Museums must work to preserve heritage and decrease looting. Proper documentation and international collaboration preserve artifacts’ meaning, offering insights into past civilizations.
Pottery fragments are also termed orphans because they have been separated from their original whole, often intentionally by looters to increase profit and make smuggling easier. A third use of the term refers to artifacts that museums will not accept from potential donors due to inadequate records, in accordance with the 1970 UNESCO Convention. A solution is to house orphaned antiquities in academic institutions where their missing history can be studied for educational purposes.
The artifacts in this exhibit all fall under one or more of these definitions. Object no. 7, a fragment, has a limited amount of provenance even in comparison to the others. Object no. 15 is also an orphan despite having a possible findspot; the object was “said to have been collected” in 1909 in Elephantine, Egypt, and there is no further information besides its departure from the National Museum of France in 1997.
How these orphaned objects should be treated remains a point of debate. Should they be ignored due to their lack of context? Or should they be presented as a source of education?
8. Coin of Julian
Minted in Antioch, 361–363 CE
Bronze
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2022.14
Purchased by Brad Hostetler from Evgeny Savenkov in 2021.
The Roman Emperor Julian, known as the Apostate for his rejection of Christianity in favor of a return to pagan traditions, utilized coinage as a powerful medium to communicate his beliefs and policies. In contrast to previous emperors who had displayed clean-shaven faces, Julian chose to embrace a long, flowing beard to symbolize his dedication to traditional Roman religions, values, and practices.
9. Coin of Aelia Flacilla
Minted in Constantinople, 383–388 CE
Bronze
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2022.43
Purchased by Brad Hostetler from from Peter H. George in 2022.
Coins were an important means of propaganda in the Roman Empire, and were used by emperors to circulate their image.The Emperor Theodosius issued coins with images of his wife, Aelia Flaccilla, a practice followed by other women of this same family. The reverse side of this coin depicts the pagan goddess of victory inscribing a Chi Rho, a Christian symbol, on a shield.
10. Folio 23: Wounded Mars Before Juno, Jupiter, Minerva, and Apollo
From a Facsimile of the Ambrosian Iliad
Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Cod. F. 205 Inf.
Eastern Mediterranean, 5th–6th century CE (original); 2009 (facsimile)
Paint on parchment (original); color print on heavy paper (facsimile)
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2018.2
One of three surviving manuscripts from Late Antiquity, the Ambrosian Iliad is a richly illustrated codex of Homer’s epic poem. The manuscript visualizes Homeric heroes in a newly Christian society. The figures in these folios, while Hellenic in origin, take on the garb and iconography of Roman gods and idols.
11. Appliqué Head of Sol Invictus
Roman Empire, 1st–3rd century CE
Bronze
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2015.164.3
Purchased by Boris Blick in an antique mall in York, England in 2000.
This is a figure that once was bound onto some other object, such as a piece of furniture. It represents the solar deity Sol Invictus who became widely worshiped both in the 3rd and 4th centuries. The protrusions extending from the head represent emanating sun rays. As the “invincible sun” he came to be associated with Roman power, and was embraced notably by the Emperor Constantine.
12. Appliqué Depicting Attis
England, 2nd–3rd centuries CE
Leaded Bronze
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.288
Purchased by David P. Harris from Julia Schottlander (Tetragon) in 1993. Said to be from the collection of Hedingham Castle as early as the 18th century.
This item would likely have been attached to a piece of furniture as decoration. It depicts Attis, a figure of Roman cult religion (symbolizing the fruits of the earth) who was stricken with temporary madness on his wedding day and castrated himself. Most images show him with childlike features and a Phrygian cap, identified by a point that flops forward at the top.
Authenticity
The objects in this exhibition are antiquities which have been stripped from their archaeological context without proper excavation, making their histories largely unknown. Scientific tests such as thermoluminescence and radiocarbon dating can be used to determine whether an object is a forgery. However, scientific testing can lead to conflicting conclusions if an object has been restored, reconstructed, or cleaned. Forgers recognize the potential profit and mimic authentic artifacts by using ancient material, replicating ancient techniques, and artificially aging objects.
Institutions also face constraints regarding cost, accessibility, time, and harm to an object. Thermoluminescence dating, for example, requires access to a bronze piece’s clay core, meaning the bronze must be compromised. Museums and academic institutions must present factual information to the public about the objects in their care. At Kenyon, we possess much of the equipment used in authentication, such as x-ray diffraction and mass spectrometers, and a fluorometer. However, none of the objects in the collection have gone through scientific testing.
Scientific authentication could provide further insight into the artifacts’ age and origin, despite their missing histories. In this exhibition, most of the objects (such as object nos. 9 and 11) are mass-produced, making them less likely to be forged and stylistically identical to their originals. Even though the objects were mass-produced, scientific testing would prove if they are from antiquity. Since none of these objects have been tested, we could be unknowingly studying forgeries. How could a forgery in this exhibit impact our understanding of these objects and their stories?
13. Two Priests
Egypt, 2nd century BCE – 4th century CE
Terracotta
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.310
Purchased by David P. Harris from Julia Schottlander (Tetragon) in 2004. Said to be from the Gustav Moustaki Collection.
Two priests carry an object which is likely a statue of Apis, an Egyptian god depicted as a bull. The figurine may reference a fertility ritual linked to Apis and was used in domestic rituals or as a part of a household shrine. The priests’ squinted eyes and curved mouths express the gravity of what they carry. Someone of a lower class probably owned this due to its cheaper material.
14. Jupiter Serapis Head
Mediterranean, 3rd century BCE – 4th century CE
Bronze
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2015.164.5
Purchased by Boris Blick in an antique mall in York, England in 2000.
Jupiter Serapis demonstrates the bridging of conquered and dominant cultures through religion. A combination of Hellenistic god Zeus and Egyptian god Apis, Jupiter Serapis appeared alongside the pantheon in Roman domestic shrines. Often composed of bronze statuettes, private shrines allowed citizens to seek the favor of the gods from the comfort of their home.
15. Figure of a Youth (Eros or Putto)
Egypt, 1st century BCE – 5th century CE
Wood
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.142
Purchased by David P. Harris from Julia Schottlander (Tetragon) in 2000. In the possession of the National Museums of France until 1997. Said to have been collected in Elephantine, Egypt in 1909.
This lively, youthful figure strides forward. The pinholes on its sides imply that in its intact state, it would include movable arms that could be twisted, turned, and played with, like a wooden doll. The front-to-back alignment of the thighs and the wreath adorning its neck hint at its origin as a Roman Cupid, also known as an Eros or a Putto.
16. Miniature Mirror
Southeast Europe, 1st–4th centuries CE
Lead
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2015.163.28
Purchased by Boris Blick at the Granta Coins & Antiquities Shop in Cambridge, England in 2000.
Offerings to gods, protective amulets, flattering gifts, and burial goods: this mirror has many possible functions. The small size of the glass, now broken away, suggests it wasn’t primarily reflective. To Romans, mirrors, and their symbol of two concentric circles such as those surrounding the glass of this mirror, could serve as protection from evil or bad luck.
17. Fragment from a Tunic Clavus
Egypt, 3rd–6th centuries CE
Dyed wool on linen, tapestry weave
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2019.5
Purchased by the Department of Art History from Tom Lyons in 2019.
Tunics were all the rage amongst the middle and lower classes of the Roman Empire. These garments dressed the men, women, and children of the Copts, or Christian Egyptians, and were typically adorned with decorative bands (like the one above) called clavi. This particular band depicts flowers, vines, and vases, which were common motifs used on clothing to invoke prosperity.
18. Textile Fragment with Crosses
Egypt, 3rd–4th centuries CE
Dyed wool, tapestry weave
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.444
Collected by David P. Harris; date and source unknown.
This resilient textile fragment, likely once part of a tunic, adorned with a central motif of three crosses and a striking red border, offers a glimpse into the fashion and culture of this era. The emergence of crosses as symbols of Christianity in this region underlines the enduring influence of the Christian faith. The cross served as a reminder of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, as well as a symbol of salvation and protection.
Ethics
Museums hold an ethical responsibility to the public to preserve, exhibit, and educate. They are also bound by laws and international conventions, such as the 1970 UNESCO Convention which restricted the sale of antiquities without documented provenance. Museums wishing to be ethical should do their due diligence to neither acquire nor exhibit illicit antiquities.
University museums have additional educational responsibilities to ensure their collections are accessible for student and faculty research. Universities should also acquire licit antiquities in ethical ways. Many of the objects in the Blick-Harris Study Collection do not meet the standards set by the 1970 UNESCO Convention, nor those set by Kenyon’s own collection policies.
At Kenyon, the artifacts remain a group instead of being separated across the international art market. Student and faculty research, including this exhibit, allows a better understanding of the artifacts, including the extent of their unknown past. For example, of the exhibit’s 23 artifacts, 16 lack provenance prior to their most recent sale. Out of the seven objects which are connected to previous collections, only object nos. 15, 21, and 22 have possible findspots.
Kenyon is responsible for maintaining the historical record – which is marred due to unprovenanced collections. However, students and faculty are working towards rectifying this ethical dilemma by publishing the collection online and conducting research, including this exhibition. Does the Study Collection belong at Kenyon? If not, where should it go?
19. Key Ring
Eastern Mediterranean, 5th–9th centuries CE
Bronze
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2017.28.3
Purchased by Sarah Blick from Nigel Mills, who had a table in the Covent Garden monthly antique flea market in London in 2000.
Byzantine citizens used simple keys for locks which fit the exact shape of the key’s blade. As a matter of practicality, they were often worn as jewelry. This key, small enough to wear as a ring, would likely have been used to open a safe kept within the wearer’s house. Some key rings also functioned as wax seals which could alert their owner of intrusions into their belongings.
20. Seal Ring Naming Stephen
Eastern Mediterranean, 6th–7th century CE
Iron
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.104
Purchased by David P. Harris from Julia Schottlander (Tetragon) in 1992.
This ring has been personalized with a monogram of Greek letters that identify the name of its wearer, Stephen (ΣΤΕΦΑΝΟΥ). The band is on the larger side, perhaps crafted for masculine hands. The lettering indicates that the ring was used to seal envelopes, printing the wearer’s name as a signature on a bed of wax.
21. Bangle
England, 60–200 CE
Glass
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2015.172.2
Purchased by Boris Blick from a dealer in Akron, Ohio, sometime between the mid-1990s and 2005. Said to have been found during a dig in York, England.
Glass armbands were mass-produced throughout Britannia, or Roman England. This one finds its uniqueness through its atypical dark green color and has a flaking, iridescent substance on the surface. Romans strengthened their glass by adding silica which was leached out when exposed to water, leaving this flaky material.
22. Crossbow Fibula
England, 4th century CE
Bronze
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2015.169.3
Purchased by Boris Blick from a dealer in Akron, Ohio, sometime between the mid-1990s and 2005. Said to have been found in 1968 during a dig in Colchester, England.
The pull of the pin into the curve of the arch — while not directly representative of a crossbow, the fibula takes us into the tension of war and weaponry. This brooch (compare to those worn by the officials to the left of the Emperor Justinian) would have been mass produced for members of the Roman military, dispatched to the farthest edges of the empire to protect the borders and cultivate the Romanization of acquired territories.
23. Hair Bodkin with Rooster Finial
Eastern Mediterranean, 1st century BCE – 1st century CE
Bronze
Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.124
Purchased by David P. Harris from Julia Schottlander (Tetragon) in 1991.
Bodkins were pins used by Roman women to affix their hair in simple buns, or to apply cosmetics such as perfume. The rooster perched atop the shaft invokes both Mercury — the pagan god who was believed to oversee safe passage into the afterlife — and the biblical story of St. Peter’s repentance, in which a rooster’s crow signals his folly in denying Christ.
Lost and Found: Collecting Antiquity at Kenyon College was curated by the students of ARHS 291 The Art of Late Antiquity and CLAS 220 Illegal Antiquities.
ARHS 291 The Art of Late Antiquity: Professor Brad Hostetler, David Bonnen, Emerson Durham, Sacha Franjola, Portia Gharai, Amanda Johnstone, Will Madden, Delaney Marrs, Gerardo Martinez, Viv Muzilla, Lindsey Neff, Park Penrod, Olivia Rataezyk, Jack Rayden, Elizabeth Redmond, Seth Ring, Elle Sommer, Jonathan Turner, Ellie Westfall, Alexis Whitney, Julia Yang, Israel Zavaleta, Anjali Zumkhawala-Cook
CLAS 220 Illegal Antiquities: Professor Zoë Kontes, Madison Buckwalter, Rian Fitzgerald, Sacha Franjola, Grace Galligan, Sarah Hoffman, Evan Matney, Lin McDow, Sam Miller, Alexis Mladineo, Elle Sommer, Lana Stone, David Sutter, Austin Vaughan, Maya Virdell
December 5–16, 2023
Meier-Draudt Curatorial Classroom, Gund Gallery 103
In addition to objects from the Blick-Harris Study Collection, this exhibition also features images from the Barker Newhall Photographic Collection and the Denis Baly Image Collection. The poster uses a photograph taken in Jerash, Jordan by Professor Baly in January 1967 (AX.98).