The San Antonio Museum of Art houses the largest collection of ancient Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman art in Texas.
The Egyptian collection represents nearly 4,000 years of civilization, from the Predynastic through Roman periods. Of particular importance are a colossal statue of the goddess Sekhmet from the funerary complex of Amenhotep III at the entrance to the galleries; Old Kingdom statues of a woman and a seated official; a group of relief sculptures from el-Amarna, the capital city of Akhenaten; and a rare bronze statuette of a lion-headed goddess.
The Near Eastern collection encompasses works from the ancient civilizations of western Asia and includes fine examples of carved cylinder seals and a group of clay tablets and cones inscribed in cuneiform script.
The centerpiece of the Museum’s holdings of Greek and South Italian art is a substantial collection of painted vases, with particular concentrations in Attic black- and red-figure and South Italian vessels.
The Museum's Roman sculpture collection encompasses portraits, funerary sculpture, and mythological subjects and is especially known for the over-life-size statue of Marcus Aurelius at the entrance to the Denman Gallery; a female portrait bust of the late first century AD; and a statue of the sleeping Ariadne. The collection also includes fine examples of Greek and Roman glass vessels and coins.
