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April 8, 2006 - Saturday - I visit the
National Archaeological Museum
today. This museum contains one of the largest collections of ancient Greek art
and antiquity to be found anywhere in the world, and is therefore a must-see.
Its galleries present the long panorama of the evolution of Greek art from the
prehistoric period to Late Roman antiquity. Many of the original artifacts from the
archaeological sites to be found around Greece are displayed here.
Statues
Bronze statue of Paris. 340-330 B.C.
Details |
The 'Artemision Jockey' Bronze statue of a horse and young jockey. About 140
B.C. |
Bronze statue of Zeus or Poseidon ca 460 B.C.
Details |
Life-size bronze head of a warrior 490-480 B.C.
Details |
Thasian marble portrait bust of Antinoos, the favorite of emperor Hadrian. AD
130-138 Details |
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Pottery
Vase with warriors |
Attic Red-Figure Pottery 415-390 B.C.
Details |
White-ground Lekythoi vases
Details |
Funerary
'The Atalante Hermes'. Funerary statue of a youth depicted in the form of
the god Hermes. Pentelic marble. 2 c A.D.
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Statue of Aphrodite. Parian marble. 4 c B.C.
Details |
Marble grave relief |
A woman sitting on a stool. Grave relief. Pentelic marble 340 B.C.
Details |
April 11, 2006 - Tuesday - I revisit the
National Archaeological Museum
today. When I first visited the Museum on Saturday, it closed before I could see
the showpiece gold artifacts recovered from Mycenae.
This time I spent a full two hours viewing this important gallery. I saw the
famous funerary Mask of Agamemnon, as well as many other superb artifacts (many
made of gold). The side gallery showcasing Cycladic art was a surprise, since
these are pre-Mycenaen.
Gold death-mask, known as the 'mask of Agamemnon'. This mask depicts the
imposing face of a bearded man.
Details |
Grave III ('Graves of the Women'), Grave Circle A, Mucenae, 16th c B.C.
Details |
Gold and silver tableware from Graves IV and V, Grave Circle A, Mycenae. 16
c B.C. "The Cup of Nestor" top-most right.
Details |
Creto-Mycenaean gold cup depicting the capture of bulls
Details |
Ivory lyre with elaborate relief decorations. A pair of sphinxes flanking a
column decorate the base (sound box)
Details |
Bronze dagger with inlaid decoration depicting a lion hunt.
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I must confess I'm not much of a fan of history, however visiting all these ancient
sites in Greece and seeing so many fascinating artifacts brings ancient
civilizations alive. Thousands of Greek schoolchildren
visit these sites and museums every day.
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Acropolis
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