The Alphabet of Art & Antiques – Y and Z

July 12, 2021

Yakshi

In Hindu and Buddhist art, yakshis are auspicious female nature spirits, symbolic of fertility and abundance. Yakshis are typically depicted as beautiful and voluptuous, with wide hips, narrow waists, and exaggerated, spherical breasts.

A carved relief showcasing remarkable art, featuring a woman in ornate dress holding a child on her left hip, both adorned with jewelry. Above them is a bird. The plaque has a curving shape and is bordered with dotted patterns. The background is plain and the figures have detailed features, making this piece a striking example of antiques craftsmanship.

Terracotta Yakshi Holding a Crowned Child with a Visiting Parrot, Shunga period, circa 1st century B.C., India (Bengal). Image via The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Yataghan

A yataghan is a  long knife or short saber that lacks a guard for the hand at the juncture of blade and hilt and that usually has a double curve to the edge and a nearly straight back.  It was commonly used in Anatolia and the Balkans during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the sultan’s elite corps, or Janissaries, and was carried in the waistband.

Ornate sword hilt with intricate silver and gold designs, studded with red gemstones—a true work of art reminiscent of cherished antiques. The blade has detailed gold etching along its length, featuring floral and geometric patterns. The handle is angular, enhanced by decorative metalwork and red gem accents.

Yatagan with Scabbarddated A.H. 1238/A.D. 1822. Image via The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

York flagon

A York flagon is a pewter vessel about 12″ in height. Its base is the shape of an acorn cup and it has a domed acorn-like cover, capped by a finial. It was used for serving wine or ale in Yorkshire in the 18th century, and it also known as an acorn flagon.

A tall, tapered pewter tankard with a hinged lid and ornate thumb lift shaped like a leaf. The tankard has a curved handle and a slightly flared base. The surface appears slightly worn, showing age and use—an excellent example for collectors of antiques appreciating both form and function.

English pewter flat-lidded York flagon, circa 1690. Image via Christie’s.

Yorkshire chair

Also called a Derbyshire chair, this is a mid 17th century English type of oak chair with the back in the form of an arcade, or with broad hooped rails. This chair was most common in the north of England.

Two antique wooden chairs with intricate carved backs and turned legs make a striking addition to any collection of antiques. The left chair has a lower, more rounded stretcher, while the right chair’s stretcher is slightly higher and plainer. Both chairs have dark finishes and decorative detailing that come together like letters in an alphabet—each piece telling its own story through artful craftsmanship.

Two Charles II carved oak Yorkshire chairs, circa 1675. Image via Sotheby’s.

You

A you or yu is a type of Chinese Bronze-age wine vessel in the form of  a covered “pot-bellied” bucket with a swing handle.

Ancient Chinese bronze vessel with intricate swirling patterns, a rounded body, two animal head-shaped side handles, a hinged lid, and a large curved handle arching overhead. This remarkable piece exemplifies the artistry found in Art & Antiques collections. The surface has a weathered, greenish patina—evidence of age and oxidation—making it as striking as any artifact from the Y and Z.

Wine Vessel or You, 10th–9th century B.C., China. Image via The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Zoetrope

Popular in Victorian times, a zoetrope is a toy that consists of a revolving cylinder, open at the top and with a series of images on the inside. The images are viewed through slits in the side of the cylinder and appear to be moving when the cylinder is turning rapidly. The zoetrope first appeared in the 1830’s and is also known as the zootrope or the wheel of life.

A vintage zoetrope sits on a table, surrounded by illustrated story strips depicting humans and animals in various motion sequences, such as running and jumping, used historically to create the illusion of movement. This striking black and white image captures the beauty of antique art forms that brought animation to life long before the digital age.

Zoetrope, with six strips of zoetrope animation. Image via the History of Photography Collection, Smithsonian Institution.

Zoopraxiscope

A Zoopraxiscope is a 19th century motion-picture device, designed by Edward Muybridge, in which light is projected through rotating glass disks applied at the rim with a changing sequence of images, creating the illusion of movement.

Three antique photographic devices stand on a white surface: a projector with brass legs, a wooden-bodied camera with a large lens, and a round painted glass disc with numbers and ornate patterns. Each piece is an exquisite example of art in antiques, showcasing the vintage, mechanical appearance that defined the early alphabet of photography’s evolution.

The zoopraxiscope, image via Kingston Museum and Heritage Service.

Zuber wallpaper

Jean Zuber (1793-1850?) was, along with J. Dufour, the first and arguably the best maker of scenic wallpaper in the first half of the 19th century. His designs depicted scenes of horse-racing in  France, England, and Italy, scenes from the American War of Independence, and views of the Niagara Falls and Boston, Mass.

A four-panel painting showcases a busy 18th-century harbor with ships, boats, and people loading goods—a true work of art reminiscent of prized antiques. In the foreground, figures in period dress gather by trees, while a bustling cityscape and waterfront fill the background under a clear blue sky.

Zuber et Cie’s “Scenes of North America” design, one of the most famous examples of woodblock-print wallpaper. Courtesy of Creative Commons.

Zwischengoldglas

A zwischengoldglas is a glass vessel – mainly beakers or goblets – with hunting, religious or heraldic scenes engraved and decorated with gold on the outside and encased in a sheath of glass. This decorative technique dates to 300 BC but surviving examples date Bohemian glass between 1730 and 1755.

A clear glass tumbler with gold trim features an intricate gold-painted scene of buildings and lush trees, evoking the artistry found in timeless antiques, while gold foliage motifs embellish the base. The upper rim and base are both accented with solid gold bands.

Zwischengoldglas with battle scene. Germany, circa 1870. Image via Hampel Auctions.

By Vera Vandenbosch