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Gold Appliqué, Anatolia, 2300-1800 BCE, Gallery 5 (Photo: Moshe Caine)
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Symbol of the Spring – The Rosette
The flowers that bloom in the month of May are harbingers of spring. In the Hebrew calendar, this month is named Iyyar which stems from the Akkadian word for 'rosette'. In the ancient world, the rosette motif was the most popular flower design, prized and revered throughout the millennia not only for its aesthetic value but also for its symbolic meaning. The rosette designated vitality, fertility, and joie de vivre, and was also regarded as a pledge of eternal spring in life beyond the grave. As such, it was used to decorate funeral stele in the ancient Greek world, as can be seen on a number of artifacts on display in the Museum's Main Galleries and also on Jewish ossuaries now on display in the special exhibition, Three Faces of Monotheism.
An iPod audio guide and multi-media stations enrich a visit to this exhibition for all ages.
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