The objects presented here were collected between the 1860s and the early 1950s, a period marked by a fluorescence of American and European interest in Egypt and the Levant. Most come from important historic collections; some were excavated by well known archaeologists and others were collected in situ by 19th and early 20th century travelers.

 The development of steam ship and rail transportation and the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869 were factors which helped tens of thousands visit sites in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the land of ancient Israel. In addition, the well-publicized work of archaeologists such as Gaston Maspero, W. M. Flinders Petrie, and Howard Carter stimulated interest among the diverse group of scholars, journalists, archaeologists, and tourists, whose collections are represented here. Two of the objects were actual ly excavated by Petrie in the late 19th century, another was acquired from the Cairo Museum in 1906, and yet another comes from the collection of William Tilden Blodgett, one of the founders of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 The largest portion of these antiquities are from the collection of A. Marguerite Smith (1889-1959), who had more than a passing tourist's interest in Egypt and the Levant. As the librarian and a trustee of the Zion Research Foundation (later re-named the Endowment for Biblical Research, Boston) of Brookline, Massachusetts, Smith was committed to the study of biblical history. Her position brought her into close contact with many archaeologists and biblical scholars of her day. She acquired some o f her objects at the time of her visit to the region in 1937-8, and until 1951 she continued to collect from European and American dealers, archaeologists, and other sources.

 Smith's primary source was Dr. Edgar James Banks (1866-1945), a Mesopotamian archaeologist and the author of The Bible and the Spade and Bismya, or the Lost City of Adab. Although his specialty was not Egypt, Banks purchased a large collection of Egyptian objects originally from the British historian, Henry Buckle (1821-1862). In Egypt, shortly before his death, Buckle assembled a collection of over 600 ancient objects; the collection changed hands twice before Banks acquired it from an American owner in 1933. All of the Egyptian objects which Smith acquired from Banks probably came from this collection.

 Smith also purchased many pieces from the Bodley Bookshop in New York. These objects came from various sources, some from celebrated collections, including that of F. G. Hilton Price; and some from famous people such as Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough; and Count Alexandre Florian Joseph Colonna Walewski, the son of Napoleon Bonaparte. Information about these collectors is included with the ob jects.

 The author has tried provide the complete collection history for every object presented here. Smith's meticulous, though sometimes cryptic, records, include the person from whom she purchased the object, the previous owners, and often the date of purchase and price paid; the text of her notes are reproduced with each item.

 Hurst Gallery has always made a practice of thoroughly researching the provenance of each object and of dealing only with objects which, according to the best information available, have been transported in conformance with international regulations. It is a special satisfaction, therefore, to be able to offer these objects, which not only have their own intrinsic value, but also retain such well documented and, in some cases, historically significant, provenances. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of all of the objects from the Smith collection will benefit the Endowment for Biblical Research, a non-denominational charitable foundatation.

Norman Hurst