introduction BEGINNINGS: THE PHOEBE HEARST ERA (1902-1920) THE PHOEBE HEARST COLLECTIONS GUATEMALA NATIVE CALIFORNIA ALASKAN ESKIMO PHILIPPINES ANCIENT NORTH AMERICA ANCIENT PERU ANCIENT egypt ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN 01. “Temple of Castor and Pollux,” Girgenti, Sicily 02. Female head, limestone 03. Equestrian figurine, terracotta 04. Drinking cup (skyphos), red-figure ceramic 05. Stemmed goblet, black-figure ceramic 06. Pot stand, bucchero terracotta 07. Bottle, glass 08. Mosaic fragment, scene with soldiers 09. Head of a goddess or votary, terracotta 10. Head of a young woman, marble 11. Head of a one-eyed man, sarcophagus fragment, marble 12. Statue of Herakles, marble TRANSITION (1920-1945) EXPANSION (1945-1960) CULMINATION (1960-1980) RECENT YEARS (1980-2001) RECENT ACQUISITIONS The Ancient Mediterranean, with its complex interaction of cultures over time, was of special interest to Phoebe Hearst. For her collecting agent, she chose Alfred Emerson, a former professor of classical archaeology. Between 1900 and 1904, he assembled about 4,200 pieces. Although Emerson traveled in Italy and Greece, most of his purchases came from dealers and auctions. Unlike the museum's Egyptian and Peruvian collections, few of these objects were scientifically excavated, and thus it is hard to determine precisely their origin. Over the century, scholars have continued to offer new attributions as the field develops. As this sample shows, the collection is excellent for teaching, with its wide range of the major media and forms. Unless otherwise noted, all the objects displayed here were collected by Emerson.