Running through 2009, Tom Swope Gallery is holding an exhibition of animals in ancient art. The objects range from Costa Rican jades, Archaic Chinese pieces, Roman intaglios, Egyptian pieces, and a large number of pieces from Iran from the 4th Millennium to the early Islamic period. While mostly small the objects radiate vitality and often humor, as well as provide a link to past cultures when animals were central to life.  Not only providing food, transportation and protection, animals also occupied important symbolic and religious roles in the ancient world.

Below is a sampling, the exhibit contains nearly forty pieces altogether, so is worth coming to see!

Bronze Duck Weight	Vase Fragment with Ibex	Bronze Panther
Intaglio of Cow and Calf	Bronze Panther Standard	Intaglio of a Boar
Bronze Lion Amulet	Terra-cotta Stag	Bronze Horse Pins