/r/ArtefactPorn

Photograph via //r/ArtefactPorn

/r/ArtefactPorn is a community dedicated to posting the very best objects, from the very large to the very small, made or shaped by the mankind throughout history. These artefacts range from tools and works of arts to archaeological finds, and give us a better sense of life in various moments throughout history.

Artifact - something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, especially an object of archaeological interest.

A History Network Member

For images of the heritage, art, relics and other remains of mankind.

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Submission Rules

  • Include the name of the Artifact in the title.
  • Include the resolution in [brackets] in the title.
  • If an image contains human remains, please add the "Human Remains" flair and mark it as NSFW so the thumbnail does not show up
  • Only submit static images.
  • Videos, collections, interactive images/websites, and articles are not allowed.
  • Do not submit a shortened link using a URL shortener like tinyurl.
  • Make sure your image is hosted by an approved host.
    • Original source is allowed and preferred over the approved hosts. If your submission is not on the list of approved hosts, but it is an original source, please use the tag [OS] so your submission is not removed in error. If your image is rehosted from another approved host it will be removed.
    • If you took the photo yourself, you can signify this by using the tag [OC] (original content) and after 24 hours you will be given special flair. If you don't receive flair after a few days feel free to message the mods.
  • Regarding reposts: it is not a repost unless it was posted to /r/ArtefactPorn less than three months ago, or if it's already in the top100 of all time.
  • If you have any questions check out the FAQ.

    • As for comments - Keep the discussion on-topic. Comments that do not directly add to the discussion will be removed. And above all, follow reddiquette. Personal attacks, abusive language, trolling or bigotry in any form is not allowed and will be removed.

    Great subreddits to check out:

    If you are interested in exchanging subreddit sidebox links, message the moderators.

    /r/ArtefactPorn

    3,180,134 Subscribers

    11

    The Book of Nobility and Perfection of Arms is an armorial written by António Godinho, clerk of the chamber of D. João III (1502-1557). It was initiated by the will of the previous king D. Manuel I, who devoted himself to the centralization and systematization of royal power in Portugal [2199x3057]

    0 Comments
    2025/01/31
    23:03 UTC
    91

    A 7th or 8th century CE ivory comb, encrusted with gold and jewels, believed to be from Syria or Egypt. Now housed at the treasury of the Quedlinburg cathedral in Germany [1000x1500]

    1 Comment
    2025/01/31
    22:59 UTC
    36

    Pillow of Berenguela of Castile (1180-1246 CE). The central medallion is formed by a crown with an Arabic inscription in cursive letters that frames the figures of two dancers facing each other around a schematic tree of life. The Museum of Medieval Textiles in Burgos, Spain [2944x5184]

    0 Comments
    2025/01/31
    22:57 UTC
    100

    A cape made of flax linen and silk, found in a woman’s grave at the Moshchevaya Balka Burial Mound in Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia. Early medieval culture of the Adygo-Alanian tribes, 8th-9th century CE, now housed at the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg [528x1351]

    2 Comments
    2025/01/31
    22:55 UTC
    136

    Cross of the Scriptures (c. 900), Clonmacnoise, Ireland. [oc] [3024x4032]

    Clonmacnoise is a monastic site in County Offaly on the banks of the River Shannon. The monastery was founded by Saint Ciarán in 544. One of the most remarkable artifacts from the site is this high cross (or Celtic cross) known as the Cross of the Scriptures, named for the carvings of biblical scenes carved into it. The cross stood west of the cathedral, but was moved to the nearby visitors center to better preserve it in 1991. A replica stands on the original site. Originally, the cross would’ve been brightly painted, though all the paint has worn off. It stands just under 4m tall.

    1 Comment
    2025/01/31
    21:48 UTC
    985

    Emerald cameo in high relief depicting a female bust within a rose-cut diamond and gold ring and detachable pendant hoop. Belonged to la Princesse Lobanoff de Rostoff —née Princesse Dolgorouky— until early 1919 [3465x3465]

    14 Comments
    2025/01/31
    19:59 UTC
    518

    The Vettweiss-Froitzheim dice tower [turricula]; a Roman anti-cheating device for throwing dice, made of copper-alloy. Found near Vettweiss, Germany & dated to the 4th c. CE. Now in the Landesmuseum, Bonn [2730 x 2040]

    16 Comments
    2025/01/31
    19:18 UTC
    1,241

    An example of erotic depiction that occasionally could be found among funeral items in an Egyptian tomb. [1080x853]

    54 Comments
    2025/01/31
    18:30 UTC
    5,316

    Plate with wife spanking her husband, Netherlands, ca. 1480 [967x985]

    109 Comments
    2025/01/31
    13:03 UTC
    1,095

    The entrance to Persepolis of Iran, ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire, 550–330 BC. [1080x1043]

    18 Comments
    2025/01/31
    12:41 UTC
    202

    An ivory statuette depicting a phoenix, 1610/1620 CE, now housed at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna [1578x1082]

    6 Comments
    2025/01/31
    11:28 UTC
    223

    A wooden showpiece made in the second half of the 16th century CE. Now housed at the Ambras Castle in Innsbruck, Austria [1080x2400]

    1 Comment
    2025/01/31
    11:17 UTC
    54

    A lectern made in 1570 CE in Nuremberg. Body: softwood, veneered and inlaid with walnut, boxwood, fruitwoods, ivory and mother-of-pearl; fittings: gilded and etched. Now housed at the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt am Main, Germany [2857x5723]

    2 Comments
    2025/01/31
    11:15 UTC
    35

    The Motor 250/400 is the first functional diesel engine. The workshop of the Maschinenfabrik Augsburg built in 1896 two units, the A-Motor, and the B-Motor. The latter has been on static display at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany, since testing it came to an end [719x1200]

    2 Comments
    2025/01/31
    11:13 UTC
    1,487

    Man standing next to Stela D, photographed by Alfred Maudslay in 1890. Quiriguá, Guatemala, Maya civilization, 766 AD [1320x1630]

    18 Comments
    2025/01/31
    05:57 UTC
    91

    Haniwa model of a kneeling figure. Japan, Kofun period, 4th century AD [900x1140]

    0 Comments
    2025/01/31
    05:57 UTC
    28

    Set of bronze bells with lacquered stand. Jingzhou, China, Warring States, State of Chu, around 400 BC [4900x3600]

    0 Comments
    2025/01/31
    05:57 UTC
    820

    1,700-Year-Old Writing Kit from Georgia (South Caucasus), c.250-350 CE: this writing kit was found in an unmarked grave located in the foundations of a cathedral, where it lay buried next to the body of a 40-50 year old woman; it's decorated with images of the Greek muses [4096x5337]

    5 Comments
    2025/01/31
    04:17 UTC
    105

    Carved ivory sculpture of Shōjō: The Drunken Sea Sprite, Japanese, c. 1825-1875. [1776x2100]

    1 Comment
    2025/01/31
    02:12 UTC
    26

    Pair of Chinese Lotus Shoes for the practice of foot binding, 19th century. Embroidered satin, wood, paper, 3 15/16 x 4 1/8 in. (10 x 10.5 cm) [1536x1150]

    4 Comments
    2025/01/31
    01:49 UTC
    262

    Pair of brooches, Gold plating on silver with inlaid garnet, glass, and enamel circa 430, Part of the Treasure of Untersiebenbrunn, from an East Germanic grave [2560x1712]

    0 Comments
    2025/01/31
    01:36 UTC
    338

    Polychrome figure found in Mexico. Created during Mixtec civilization, 1200-1500 AD [940x1100]

    Figure is made of ceramic buffware with polychrome and likely represents a deity or an important individual in Mixtec society. The raised hand might signify a gesture of blessing, power, or communication.

    It is currently housed in the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.

    9 Comments
    2025/01/30
    23:54 UTC
    68

    An Iberian gold diadem from Jaén, Spain. 4th-3rd century BCE [2048x3627]

    0 Comments
    2025/01/30
    22:53 UTC
    167

    Garment study for a seated figure, by Leonardo da Vinci. 1470-1484 CE, brush and grey distemper on grey canvas. Now housed at the Louvre Museum [674x768]

    0 Comments
    2025/01/30
    22:51 UTC
    201

    The Uunartoq disc is an 11th century CE wooden disk fragment found in Uunartoq, Greenland. Annotations denote elements for its possible usage as a sun compass. When the shadow is aligned with the shadow lines, North is up. Incisions in that direction permit measuring the shadow length [850x960]

    3 Comments
    2025/01/30
    22:50 UTC
    1,211

    17,000-year-old paintings of horses at the Villars Cave in France. The horses were painted in manganese dioxide, and coated over the millenia with calcite, which has the effect of making the black manganese oxide appear blue [1065x677]

    9 Comments
    2025/01/30
    22:48 UTC
    1,807

    A painting of a Sikh couple with their baby and pets - circa late 1800s [720x893]

    16 Comments
    2025/01/30
    19:49 UTC
    473

    Wedding Headdress, China Beginning of the 20th Century Gilded Cardboard and Metallic Threads, Inlay of Kingfisher Feathers [1220 x 1624]

    3 Comments
    2025/01/30
    18:11 UTC
    272

    Funerary Mayan Jade Mask found in the ancient city of Noh Kah located in present day Quintana Roo, housed at the Museo Maya de Cancun [2007x2019]

    1 Comment
    2025/01/30
    16:52 UTC
    1,106

    A ninth century Talisman of Charlemagne. According to legend, the talisman was a gift from Caliph Harun al-Rashid to Charlemagne in 801. [800x931]

    5 Comments
    2025/01/30
    15:46 UTC
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