50. Anonymous. Mirror illustrating The Nursing of Hercules, c. 350 BCE. Bronze. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Florence. Etruscan Antiquity.
51. Anonymous. Mirror from Tuscany, 350–300 BCE. Bronze, diameter: 12 cm. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Florence. Etruscan Antiquity.
52. Anonymous. Mirror with eight protrusions, 206 BCE – 22 °CE. Bronze, diameter: 21 cm. National Palace Museum, Taipei. Chinese Antiquity.
53. Anonymous. Coins from Vetulonia, c. 250 BCE. Bronze. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Florence. Etruscan Antiquity.
54. Anonymous. Mirror with a winged genius, 3rd century BCE. Bronze. Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia, Rome. Etruscan Antiquity.
55. Anonymous. Embellishment on the tomb of a woman from Waldalgesheim (Germany), second half of the 4th century BCE. Bronze, height: 9.5 cm. Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn, Bonn. Celtic Antiquity.
56. Anonymous. Chinese lacquered coffin decorated with birds and dragons, 4th century BCE. Wood, 184 × 46 cm. Hubei Museum, Hubei (China). Chinese Antiquity.
57. Anonymous. Earring, c. 300 BCE. Gold. Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia, Rome. Etruscan Antiquity.
58. Anonymous. Bracelet, Ptolemaic period, 305 BCE. Gold, diameter: 8 cm. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Egyptian Antiquity.
59. Anonymous. Signet ring, 4th-3rd century BCE. Carnelian, diameter: 1.7 cm. The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg. Persian Antiquity.
60. Anonymous. Bracelet with an agate stone, Roman period, 117–138 CE. Hammered gold leaf, agate, diameter: 9 cm. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Egyptian Antiquity.
61. Anonymous. Headpiece with a serapi figure, Roman period, 117–138 CE. Gold, diameter: 22 cm. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Egyptian Antiquity.
62. Anonymous. Two adornments depicting immortals, late Han dynasty, 2nd-3rd century CE. Gold leaf and inlaid work, 2.5 × 4 cm. Musée national des Arts asiatiques – Guimet, Paris. Chinese Antiquity.
63. Anonymous. Incense burner in the shape of a Lian house, late Han dynasty, 20–22 °CE. Ceramic with lead glaze, height: 15 cm. Musée national des Arts asiatiques – Guimet, Paris. Chinese Antiquity.
64. Anonymous. Embellished vase, Roman period, 2nd-3rd century CE. Glass, bronze, and gold. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Egyptian Antiquity.
65. Anonymous. Cup belonging to Lycurgus, 4th century BCE. Gilded ruby, glass mixture, gold, and silver with copper highlights, height: 16.5 cm. British Museum, London. Roman Antiquity.
66. Anonymous. Lamp with the figure of the god Bes, beginning of the 2nd century. Terracotta, height: 21.5 cm. British Museum, London. Egyptian Antiquity.
67. Anonymous. Adoration of the Magi, c. 200. Fresco. Capella Greca, Catacomb of Priscilla, Rome. Romanesque.
68. Anonymous. The Good Shepherd, c. 250. Fresco. Capella Greca, Catacomb of Priscilla, Rome. Romanesque.
69. Anonymous. King Hunting Rams, plate, 5th-6th century. Silver, mercury gilding, niello inlay, diameter: 21.9 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Persian Antiquity.
70. Anonymous. The Missorium of Theodosius, 387–388. Silver, partially gilded, diameter: 74 cm. Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid. Byzantine Antiquity.
71. Anonymous. Scipio’s shield, end of the 4th century or beginning of the 5th century. Silver, partially gilded, diameter: 71 cm. Cabinet des Médailles, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris. Byzantine Antiquity.
72. Anonymous. Medal of Emperor Constantine the Great, 315. Silver, diameter: 2.4 cm. Staatliche Münzsammlung München, Munich. Romanesque.
73. Anonymous. Medal of Emperor Constantine the Great and the sun god, Sol, 313. Gold. Cabinet des Médailles, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris. Romanesque.
74. Anonymous. Embellished bottle, Roman period, 4th century. Terracotta, height: 30.5 cm. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Egyptian Antiquity.
75. Anonymous. Bracelet, end of the 4th century or beginning of the 5th century. Gold and coloured stones, diameter: 7.5 cm. Cabinet des Médailles, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris. Byzantine Antiquity.
76. Anonymous. Jason and Medea, end of the 4th century or beginning of the 5th century. Tapestry in polychrome linen, diameter: 7 cm. Musée de Cluny, Paris. Egyptian Antiquity.
77. Anonymous. Lustre, 5th-7th century. Bronze (bobeches in modern glass), height: 18 cm; diameter: 48.5 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris. Byzantine.
Middle Ages
78. Anonymous. Sarcophagus, probably belonging to Archbishop Theodor,end of the 5th century or beginning of the 6th century. Marble. Basilica of St Apollinaris in Classe, Ravenna (Italy). Byzantine.
Besides the Celtic monuments to which we have already referred (menhirs, dolmens, etc.) there is very little that is original in the style of the Gaulish period and from the Roman invasion onwards, any traces of the romantic, which were, in any case, more a result of the rudimentary nature of life at the time than of a feeling for art, are swallowed up by the culture of the victorious Romans. The bathhouses, theatres, and arenas are all attributed indiscriminately to the Gauls and the Romans, and Gaulish furniture is so similar to the furniture used in Rome as to be indistinguishable from it. Frankish style is similarly insignificant. The Franks were busy fighting and a more civilised period only begins to flourish when peace returns. The evidence of this civilisation is to be found in the Christian monasteries built beside the tombs of the saints. Clovis’ reign was of no artistic importance but Dagobert had an abbey built at Saint-Denis and left us an armchair which bears his name, although there is very little to distinguish it from a curule chair! At the same time, gold and silver works with a peculiarly Byzantine flavour have been found dating from Charlemagne’s reign onwards. It seems that chests attributed to the Carolingian period decorated with ivory plaques showing mythical