Ancient CyprusAncient Cyprus

Dealers

Donna Jacobs Gallery

Birmingham, Michigan, United States

Ancient-art gallery in Birmingham, Michigan, documented 1982-1995, with Apulian vases, annual glass exhibitions and a 1984 sale of a Cypro-Archaic bichrome amphora.

About

A gallery of ancient art in Birmingham, Michigan, held an annual ancient-glass exhibition. Its 1982 catalogue is cited for four Apulian red-figure vases (nos. 1-4) in the supplement to Trendall's work on the vases of Apulia2. Michigan newspaper listings from 1989 to 1994 describe it showing antiquities. The 13th annual show, "Ancient Glass - 1992", had over 100 pieces from the Eastern Mediterranean, Egypt, the Near East and the Roman Empire, and another exhibition was titled "East Roman Art: From the Frontier of an Empire"3. The gallery also handled Egyptian, Greek, Roman and pre-Columbian pieces5.

Its Cypriot link is a bichrome ware amphora of the Cypro-Archaic I period, c. 750-600 BC, which Harold Marko and Barbara Marko bought from the gallery in 1984. It was offered at Christie's in 20211.

History

  1. 1982
    Issued a 1982 catalogue of Apulian red-figure vases (nos. 1-4 cited in the Trendall-Cambitoglou supplement); not Cypriot.

    Birmingham, MichiganFirst Supplement to The…, p. 62

  2. 1984
    Sold a Cypriot bichrome ware amphora, Cypro-Archaic I, c. 750-600 BC, to Harold and Barbara Marko; the object was later offered at Christie's, 2021, sale 19992, lot 4, whose provenance line records the 1984 purchase from the gallery.

    Harold MarkoBarbara MarkoA Cypriot bichrome ware… 2021, lot 4

  3. 1990
    Named in a Detroit Jewish News piece (22 June 1990) as one of the galleries on Birmingham's 'culture gulch', specialising in ancient art; seen as a search excerpt.

    Birmingham, MichiganDetroit Jewish News, 22… 2026

  4. 1992
    Held its 13th annual ancient glass exhibition, 'Ancient Glass - 1992', of over 100 pieces from the Eastern Mediterranean, Egypt, the Near East and the Roman Empire, per a local newspaper listing.

    Birmingham, MichiganDetroit Jewish News listings,… 2026

  5. 1995
    Listed in the Detroit Jewish News of 3 February 1995 with an ancient glass exhibition, the latest dated trace of the gallery found; seen as a search excerpt.

    Birmingham, MichiganDetroit Jewish News, 3… 2026

  6. Undated
    Archival ephemera of the gallery (announcements, clippings, press releases, brochures, invitations) is described in ArchiveGrid under 'Donna Jacobs Gallery Ltd., Birmingham, Michigan', held at Michigan State University Libraries according to the search excerpt.

    Birmingham, MichiganDonna Jacobs Gallery Ltd.,… 2026

People

2 people

Buyers · 2

Objects

Sources

  1. 1. (2021). “A Cypriot bichrome ware pottery amphora, Cypro-Archaic I, circa 750-600 B.C., sale 19992, lot 4”. Christie's, lot 4.
  2. 2.“First Supplement to The Red-Figured Vases of Apulia, vol. 1”. Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies supplement, pp. 62, 118, 131, 195, 196, 254.
  3. 3. (2026). “Detroit Jewish News listings, Donna Jacobs Gallery (search result excerpts, 1989-1994)”. Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Digital Collections. Online
  4. 4. (2026). “Donna Jacobs Gallery Ltd., Birmingham, Michigan”. ArchiveGrid (OCLC). Online
  5. 5. (2026). “Donna Jacobs Gallery, Ltd, Birmingham, Michigan: collection entries”. Artkhade. Online
  6. 6. (2026). “An Attic white-ground lekythos”. Hindman Auctions. Online
  7. 7. (2026). “Detroit Jewish News, 22 June 1990, p. 72 (search excerpt: gallery described as part of Birmingham's 'culture gulch')”. Bentley Historical Library. Online
  8. 8. (2026). “Detroit Jewish News, 3 February 1995, p. 93 (search excerpt: ancient glass exhibition listing)”. Bentley Historical Library. Online