Greek
Among the many ancient civilizations that have left us works of art, none have had as much influence on the development of the western civilization than that of the Greeks. Greek sculptures, vases, architecture, mosaics and frescos have all shaped the art of the Romans, art of the renaissance, all the way through the art of the 20th century. The Greeks discovered ancient coins, made fantastic engraved gems, and magnificent jewelry. Neolithic and Cycladic sculptors had great influence on the artists who created modern art. Even contemporary art of our own modern era find great influences form the ancient Greeks.
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Roman
Although Romans copied Greek art they did make great inventions to suite their imperial social needs. They made incredible water distribution systems, built roads, and organized imperial armies to support the great ambitions of an empire that stretched throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. Roman sculptures; mosaics, bronzes and Roman architecture are some of the most important remnants of art from the ancient world.
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Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire was the truly Christian empire of the ancient and early medieval world. Much of the Christian iconography that can be found in the early Middle Ages, later Medieval times, further to the Renaissance period and beyond were created by Byzantine artists. The art of the Orthodox Christians throughout Eastern Europe to Russia got their iconography from Byzantine Art.
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Early European and Migration Period
Countless Late Antique and Early Middle Ages tribes have origins in the Eurasian Steppes and were nomadic tribes looking for a permanent place to settle. Nomads of Eurasia brought with them traditions and over time fused styles with those of Byzantine and Celtic Art. Animal style art of nomadic and tribal traditions influenced much of what became known as the art of the Middle Ages.
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Spanish
Spain's geography had much influence on developments of the works produced, as it was a peninsula. The Neolithic settlements produced Spanish Neolithic art. The Celts, who moved there, produced Celti-Iberian Art. The Greeks exported much of Spain's Greco-Iberian art. The Roman's conquered Spain and influenced the Romano-Spanish Art. The Byzantines and Visigoths combined to create Visigothic art of Spain. The North African Moorish invasion of Al-Andalus in Iberia created the Islamic Art of Spain.
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Eurasian
The countless tribal and nomadic people of Eurasia had different artistic traditions than those of ancient Near East, Egyptian and the Mediterranean Art. Since these tribal people had no architectural traditions much of what they produced were personal adornments, or what is often referred to as, decorative art. The main Eurasian tribes are, The Scythians, Sarmatians, The Huns, The Avars, and The Turks.
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Chinese
Among ancient civilizations, Chinese art occupies a unique place. Chinese art of the Neolithic period however, is not all that much different than that of their contemporaries in other regions of the world. Neolithic Chinese pottery is free in artistic expression. The Dynastic China, starting with Shang Dynasty is different in many ways, particularly as their artistic traditions become more conforming in style, technique, and material. We only begin to see a more free expression once again, during the Warring States Period and beyond.
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Jewelry and Gemstones
Ancient Greek Jewelry developed into high art. The intricacies were much in demand, and the highly accomplished artists became involved in the craft of exceptional works of jewelry. Equally important were ancient Greek engraved gemstones that attracted master engravers and carvers, as well as master sculptures. Today we consider many of these works masterpieces. Both die-engravers for ancient Greek coins as well as gemstone carvers use the same technique, carving in negative so that when the impression is made, as coins or as seals, would produce a positive image. Not until the Hellenistic period do we begin to see the production of Cameo's.
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Islamic
The art and culture of Islam encompasses an incredibly rich and large range of styles, meanings, and geographic locations. Emerging in the 7th century and developing in step with the religion itself, Islamic art drew on elements of the existing cultures of the time, including closely related Christianity and Judaism, while retaining its basis in a firmly Eastern artistic tradition and world view. From the earliest stages of Islamic art, there has been a great deal of focus on surface decoration, with a penchant for completely covering the available space with scenes and designs, sometimes even layered one on top of the other for an intensely rich, opulent effect. Inscriptions also play a key role in the art of Islam, especially quotations from the Koran, and calligraphic flourishes are one of the hallmarks of Islamic art, in many instances becoming the central focal point of a work.
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South Arabian
The unique culture that emerged in the southern Arabian peninsula exhibited a unique artistic vision and a consistency that helps it stand apart from other contemporary cultures. From about the 1st millennium BC to the 2nd century AD, a number of tribal kingdoms (the Sabaeans, Qatabanians, etc.) known collectively as South Arabia connected the East and West through their lucrative trade in gold, gems, textiles, spices, and especially frankincense and myrrh: aromatics that were highly prized in ancient times for use as perfumes and/or incense. Their success as traders resulted in a rich culture that emphasized volumetric, sculptural forms often embellished with inlays or inscriptions. Their material of choice was a warm, fine-grained, veined calcite, very similar to alabaster, blocks of which were carved in a very stylized, geometric, and abstract fashion to create a visual language that was wildly different from other civilizations of the time. Even today, one is struck by the modern appeal of such an ancient culture.
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