Even as a child, Joseph Kleinman had an interest in ancient history, especially the history associated with the ancient civilizations most like our own, those of Greece and Rome. As he began to read and study the history of those distant times, he naturally developed an interest in the art and culture of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
The thought of owning an actual ancient artifact, one created by an accomplished artist or craftsman led Joseph to the study of ancient coins.
Why ancient coins ?At the close of the classical age the Roman Imperial Government had
become a police state with the Catholic Church as the new state religion. The emperors,
beginning in the fourth century, initiated a policy of forced conversions with the object of
stamping out the older pagan culture.
Part of that policy included the wholesale
destruction of all the art forms that didn’t meet with the approval of the Christian
Clergy. Public buildings became the rock quarries of the dark ages, statues were melted
down or broken up and temples not given over to church use were demolished after the marble
was stripped from their walls and burned in kilns to make lime. The destruction was nearly
complete but not totally. Buried in the earth was the work of the Celators, the coin die
engravers of the classical age, the craftsman responsible for ancient coins, some of the
greatest artists who ever lived and worked on our planet.
The celators created their exquisite work without the benefit of electricity, with no hardened stainless steel, with no strong acid or powerful illumination, with no high magnification or any of the modern equipment required to do this work today. Joseph is in partnership with the celators. They created the art, Joseph makes the frames.
Very early on Joseph wanted to have one of his coins mounted as a pendant so he would always
have a favorite coin in his possession. However, all of the coin jewelry he saw didn’t do
justice to the coins as works of art but rather as so many gems to be embellished by fancy
mountings or cheap one size fits all bezels having prongs that would bend over the coin.
That was not acceptable. To remedy that situation Joseph took basic and advanced courses in
metal fabrication and then built and equipped his studio where he perfected his skills.
Later, his work was accepted into an art gallery in Issaquah Washington where it received
immediate attention and was purchased by many of their clients. Other galleries have also
accepted the work and today it is owned and worn by clients all over The United States and
in Europe.
“I have always been excited by the prospect of owning a genuine ancient art object. Sharing that excitement with others is something that I have become passionate about. I have been encouraged by fellow artists as well as by gallery owners and their clients. My mission is to create in each piece, an educational, one of a kind object of Ancient Wearable Art which can be enjoyed by both men and women”
Joseph Kleinman is President of The Pacific Ancient Numismatists and lives on Whidbey Island
Washington with his two cats.