Exhibitions Archive - Classical and Ancient
Heracles to Alexander The Great: Treasures From The Royal Capital of Macedon, A Hellenic Kingdom in the Age of Democracy
In the first major archaeological exhibition in the new temporary exhibition galleries, the Ashmolean Museum will showcase over five hundred treasures made of gold, silver and bronze, recently found in the royal burial tombs and the palace of Aegae, the ancient capital of Macedon. These extraordinary new discoveries will go on display for the first time outside Greece. They re-write the history of early Greece and tell the story of the royal court and the kings and queens who governed Macedon, from the descendents of Heracles to the ruling dynasty of Alexander the Great.
7/04/2011 – 29/08/2011
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford OX1 2PH
The immortal Alexander the Great. The myth, the reality, his journey, his legacy
No ruler in antiquity appeals to the imagination as much as Alexander the Great (356 BC – 323 BC, king from 336 BC). Everywhere he went - Egypt, Syria, Bactria, Persia, India and Mongolia - he founded new capitals and named them all Alexandria. He left behind a legacy of Greek culture in the form of Hellenism. His fame lived on, long after antiquity. He was an example to many European, Russian and Islamic rulers. Paintings, tapestries and decorative art depicted Alexander’s life and history. The exhibition covers all these aspects, with over 350 objects from classical antiquity to the modern age, of Western and non-Western origins, including important Hellenistic jewellery and cameos.
18/09/2010 - 18/03/2011
Hermitage Amsterdam, Netherlands
I Due Imperi
The Two Empires: the Eagle and the Dragon
Two ancient cultures collide in an exhibition where the Roman Empire meets the Chinese Qui and Han dynasties (200 BC-200 AD), considered a golden age in China’s history. The exhibition displays 450 similar yet contrasting artefacts relating to both empires. Jade, lacquer and silks combine with marble statues, glass, mosaics, silver and bronze. With the participation of almost 50 museums, the exhibition is the result of extensive collaboration between China and Italy and is held in honour of the Cultural Year of China in Italy. This is the first time many of the Chinese treasures have left China and in addition to the items on view, the exhibition examines the role that both cultures played in world civilisation and how their legacies have contributed to modern-day philosophy, engineering, arts and politics. It also highlights their differences and similarities: both empires regarded themselves as the centre of the world and both empires ultimately fell.
19/11/2010 - 6/02/2011
Palazzo Venezia, Rome, Italy
A Glimmer in the Earth: The treasures of Rhayader and its region
This exhibition brings home for the first time the Bronze Age Llanwrthwl Gold Torcs and the Romano-British Rhayader Jewels: treasure hoards which were unearthed in the locality. As well as showcasing these exceptional pieces, returned from the National Museum of Wales and the British Museum, the exhibition brings the eras of the two treasure hoards to life, with interactive activities, vibrant displays, sculpture, creative writing and film. This, the Gallery's most spectacular exhibition to date, is a nationally significant exhibition that takes visitors into the history and myth of Mid Wales.
4/06/2011 – 4/09/2011
Rhayader Museum and Gallery, Powys, UK
Reiche Römer in Vindobona: Gold und Edelsteine aus dem Albertina-Gräberfeld
Roman gold jewellery from the rich 2nd - 4th century Albertina cemetery.
4/03/09 – 2/06/09
Das Naturhistorische Museum, Vienna, Austria
Roman Treasures – buried and rediscovered
In this special exhibition the Swiss National Museum in Zurich presents the famous late Roman hoard from Lunnern (Canton Zurich), which was discovered in 1741 and consists of precious gold jewellery and coins.
21/11/2008 – 22/3/2009
Schweizerisches Landesmuseum, Zurich, Switzerland
2000 year-old glass - Jewellery and everyday objects
This exhibition shows, largely for the first time, ancient Egyptian jewellery, Mycenaean and Phoenician beads, Greek Perfume bottles, Hellenistic mosaic glass and Roman Oil bottles, tableware and gold glass fragments 2000 years old. Glass manufacturing and glass art brought to life.
5/09/2010 – 13/02/2011
Martin von Wagner Museum, Würzburg, Germany
Gold of the Celts
Gold jewellery from the necropolis of Osimo and Filottrano, including new discoveries.
10/10/2009 – 30/06/2010
Archaeological Museum of State Arcevia, Arcevia, Marches, Italy
Oro y Plata. Lujo y distinción en la Antigüedad Hispana. Colecciones de orfebrería del Museo Arqueológico Nacional
Gold and silver. Luxury and distinction in ancient Hispania. Treasures from the National Archaeological Museum
This exhibition will offer visitors the opportunity to view a selection of the treasures of gold before the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula preserved in the National Archaeological Museum, which by their nature, have rarely left the same and never in such quantities and wealth. Treasures important not only in the strict sense, but also by the knowledge provided from a distant time in which the accumulation of luxury items was assimilated to social distinction and political power or religious. The nearly 300 pieces that make up the exhibition have been selected for their aesthetic quality and its ability to explain the technology, behavior and tastes of the societies that lived in the Peninsula from prehistory to the Romanization.
12/05/2011 - 26/06/2011
Centro Cultural Las Claras Cajamurcia, Murcia, Spain
The magic of amber - amulets and jewellery from classical Basilicata
The exhibition shows 180 specimens in amber found in Basilicata, dating from the eighth to the fourth centuries BC, including small sculptures by carvers from the Greek cities of the Ionian, and the Etruscan cities of Campania, but also necklaces or belts of inestimable value. Myths, mysteries and legends accompany more than two thousand years history of amber, which are obtained with precious jewels and amulets. The Greek tradition maintained that the raw amber came from the remote and legendary West, perhaps because it came mainly from Italy to Greece, across the Adriatic. The spread of amber in Basilicata dates from the second millennium BC, so that a major fossil-guide can be used to reconstruct the archaeological history of the region. The exhibition also shows rare amber from ancient Macedonia.
22/07/2009 – 15/02/2010
Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
28/01/2011 - 25/04/2011
Das Römisch-Germanische Museum, Cologne, Germany
3/09/2010 - 9/01/2011
Italienisches Kulturinstitut, Zurich, Switzerland
Byzantium: Splendour and Everyday Life
The exhibition will make use of magnificent and historically meaningful exhibits and important artefacts from collections and archaeological excavations to shed light on many aspects of the history, archaeology and art of the Byzantine Empire. It will offer an overview of the “Byzantine Millenium” (from the foundation of Constantinople by Constantine the Great in 324 A.D. to the conquest by the Ottomans in 1453), but will concentrate above all on the prospering of the Empire from the time of Justinian I (527–565 A.D.) until the plundering of Constantinople by western crusaders in 1204. The main questions of the Byzantine state, Byzantine art and culture, society, economy, the Byzantine military, as well as daily life, etc., are to be discussed on the basis of “scenes”, by means of which these themes can be made highly accessible.
26/02/2010 - 13/06/2010
Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland GmbH, Bonn, Germany
Byzantium 330-1453
Highlighting the splendours of the Byzantine Empire, the exhibition will comprise around 300 objects including icons, detached wall paintings, micro-mosaics, ivories, jewellery, enamels, textiles, gold and silver metalwork. Some of the works have never been displayed in public before
25/10/2008 – 22/3/2009
Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK
Precious jewellery of the past
Exhibition of Sicilian jewellery of 8000 years, from the Mesolithic to the Byzantine age, from the medal collections of the Archaeological Museum Antonio Salinas in Palermo.
19/12/2009 – 23/05/2010
Chiesa San Francesco Borgia, Catania, Sicily, Italy
The Valley of the Thracian Kings
The region near the town of Kazanlak, Bulgaria, served as an important ruler’s burial place in the ancient times. Researchers called the region the Valley of Thracian Kings. The bombing of Kazanluk on the 19th April 1944 uncovered Thracian tomb from 4-3 century BC, which since 1979 has become one of the emblematic sites of UNESCO World Heritage. This exhibition features a gold deathmask of King Seuthes III, the monarch's gold ring, as well as jewellery, jars, vases and breastplates, shown outside Bulgaria for the first time.
19/03/2010 – 30/04/2010
Magyar Plakat Haz, Nagykanizsa, Hungary
The Treasures of ancient Syria - Discovery of the kingdom of Qatna
More than 3500 years ago, the Syrian Kingdom of Qatna, which had grown rich through trade, was one of the most prosperous metropoles of the ancient Orient. Around 1340 BC, a withering attack by the Hittites led to the destruction of Qatna. This exhibition shows about 400 exhibits of art and daily life that span the entire history of the site of Qatna, from its founding around 2600 BC, to its abandonment, in 600 BC, including, in particular, jewellery, works of art and crafts, collections of cuneiform tablets, seals and arms.
17/10/09 – 14/03/10
Württemberg State Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
The Gold of Troy: Ancient Jewelry from the University of Pennsylvania Museum
Regarded as one of the world's most spectacular archaeological finds, the discovery of the Gold of Troy confirmed the existence of the flourishing pre-classical civilization and its legendary treasure. Excavated between 1870-1873 by German businessman-turned-archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, the hoards of treasure included thousands of gold and semi-precious stone objects dating to 2500 BC, pre-dating the famous Trojan and Greek war described by Homer in his epic The Iliad by over one thousand years. This exhibition features 20 pieces of fine ancient women's jewelry exemplary of Trojan craftsmanship. Their age and style indicate they were likely discovered at Troy, home of the most famous treasure ever to be unearthed.
13/12/2009 - 14/02/2010
Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, Santa Ana, CA, USA
Wine, Worship, and Sacrifice: The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani
From the Land of the Golden Fleece: Tomb Treasures of Ancient Georgia
The Georgian site of Vani lies in what was the ancient kingdom of Colchis, known in Greek myth as the destination of Jason and the Argonauts in their quest for the Golden Fleece. Colchis was renowned as a region rich in gold, and excavations at Vani have confirmed this reputation. The archaeological finds not only demonstrate the highly refined craftsmanship of local goldworkers but also testify to contacts with both the Greek world and the Persian Empire. This exhibition presents an array of precious objects from Vani, including jewelry from five of the elite burials, bronzes from a sanctuary devoted to wine production, and an enigmatic group of ritual figurines.
2/10/2008 – 14/1/2009
The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK
20/01/09 - 6/04/09
The Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece
16/07/2009 - 5/10/2009
The Getty Villa, Malibu, Los Angeles CA, USA
17/11/2011 – 5/02/2012
Mercati e Foro di Traiano, Roma, Italy
The Amazons - mysterious warrior women
Exhibition about the legendary warriors of ancient times with sensational grave finds from the Eurasian steppes, such as jewellery, weapons and skeletons, presented in public for the first time.
5/09/2010 – 13/02/2011
Historisches Museum der Pfalz, Speyer, Germany
Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul
In the late 1970s archaeologists working in Afghanistan discovered the remnants of an ancient cemetery dating from around the time of Christ’s birth. Some of the graves yielded large numbers of spectacular gold ornaments of incalculable artistic and cultural value. The legendary finds bear witness to the ancient kingdom of Bactria, situated at the crossroads of a wide range of Eastern and Western cultures. Conceived by the Musée Guimet in Paris, the exhibition presents some 220 works that have miraculously survived the decades of war and destruction that have ravaged Afghanistan.
22/02/2009 - 17/05/2009
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, USA
23/06/2009 - 20/09/2009
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York NY, USA
23/10/2009 – 24/04/2010
Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
11/06/2010 - 3/10/2010
Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland GmbH, Bonn, Germany
Gandhara – The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan: Legends, Monasteries and Paradise
Between the first and fifth centuries CE, an art form flourished in Gandhara, on what is today the Pakistani-Afghan border, that seems strangely familiar to western eyes: influenced by the culture of Mediterranean antiquity, artists in Gandhara created the earliest figurative representations of Buddha. The best-known legacy of the Gandhara civilization were the monumental Buddha statues of Bamiyan, destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Some 300 objects, including masterpieces of stone sculpture, delicately wrought reliefs, precious coins and magnificent gold jewellery lure visitors into the world of early Buddhism. With the support of Novartis and the Parrotia Foundation. An exhibition of the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bonn
6/09/2008 – 3/01/2010
Museum Rietberg, Werner Abegg Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland
The Kingdom of the Vandals
This exhibition presents for the first time a comprehensive picture of the Vandals, who were considered proverbially, but wrongly, as destroyers, in a well-organized state, and using the Roman way of life. Some 300 high-level objects, including precious jewellery, unique mosaics and large format photographs of works from renowned European and North African museums bear witness to the culture and history of North Africa at the time of the Vandal rule.
24/10/2009 - 21/02/2010
Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe, Germany
The art of the Celts - from 700 BC to AD 700
For the first time an exhibition is being dedicated to the «Art of the Celts» from its origins in Central Europe to its final flowering in Ireland around AD 700. The exhibition in the new extension of the Historisches Museum in Berne is showing an exquisite selection of some 450 Celtic art treasures from all over Europe in an area covering 1200 sq. m. Magnificent jewellery and richly decorated utilitarian objects made from bronze, iron, silver and gold, precious grave goods and cult objects with complex patterns or representations of fantastic beings testify to the masterly artistic creation achieved by the Celts. The exhibition offers the chance to see for the first time some recently discovered and spectacular new finds from France that have not yet been displayed to the public. As a particular highlight it is also showing for the first time outside Germany the treasure from the burial chamber of the famous Celtic chieftain at Hochdorf.
18/06/2008 – 18/10/2009
Historisches Museum, Berne, Switzerland
Roman to Renaissance: A private collection of rings
An exhibition devoted to a private collection of thirty-five rings dating from 300 to 1600 AD, from the Paris gallery LES ENLUMINURES. The collection comprises fine examples of rings from the Merovingian, Byzantine, Medieval and Renaissance periods including marriage rings, seal rings, stirrup rings, tart mould rings, iconographic rings, merchant rings and gemstone rings.
12/5/2009 – 22/5/2009
Wartski, London, UK
Masterpieces of Ancient Jewelry: Exquisite Objects from the Cradle of Civilization
Featuring over one hundred twenty jewelry objects and accessories from the far reaches of history and the birthplace of civilization, the collection includes important pieces from the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin, The Israel Museum in Jerusalem, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Princeton University Art Museum.
26/09/2008 – 31/12/2008
The Forbes Galleries, New York, NY, USA
13/02/2009 – 5/07/2009
The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, USA
Jewellery, a language without words.
An exhibition of pre-historic jewellery, from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.
18/04/09 – 01/11/09
Musée des Tumulus de Bougon, Bougon, France