The Ancient and Byzantine Art and Numismatics Department in the Arthur M. Sackler Museum is like a tree sheltering under its many branches the products of six thousand years of cultures ranging from Ireland to India. This vast expanse of cultural coverage closely resembles the time span and geographical area covered by the Asian Art Department. Indeed, one of the most exciting challenges in the decades ahead will be to explore situations in which the arts and technologies of these areas overlap and influence each other.

The collection of ancient art is comprised of over 24,000 works of Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Egyptian, and Near Eastern art, and includes vases, sculpture in stone, metalwork, terracottas, glass, glyptics, some wood, ivory, and bone, and a very large collection of ancient coins.

Highlights of the collection of ancient art include:

Greek red and black figure vases of the classical period; stone sculpture and ancient coins.