Exquisite Ancient Greek Earring One of Treasures at Boston Museum

ancient greek earring boston museum of fine arts — The Ancient Greek earring depicting Nike, the goddess of victory, is more than 2,300 years old. Credit: Museum of Fine arts, Boston.

An exquisite ancient Greek earring, now housed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, still dazzles its admirers fully 2,300 years after it was expertly crafted from pure gold. And it is in good company at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, which opened new galleries devoted to Greek art this year.

The ancient Greek earring, depicting Nike, the goddess of Victory, resplendent in gold wings and headdress and driving her two-horse chariot, still has wheels that actually still turn, more than two millennia after it was created.

The expressions on her horses’ faces are still clearly visible, and the delicate golden reins that Nike is using to control them are amazingly still extant. More than 100 individual pieces of gold were used to make the one surviving earring, which was created around the years 350-325 BC.

Ancient Greek earring among countless treasures at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts

Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, located on the historic city’s Huntington Avenue, houses many treasures from Ancient Greek as well as Egyptian and Mediterranean history.

Home to exhibits ranging from an architrave relief from the Temple of Athena in Assos to an oval gemstone, exquisitely faceted to reveal the goddess Kassandra, the ancient Greek and Roman art galleries house some of the most important collections of Greek objects anywhere in the United States.

Major renovations of Behrakis Wing of the MFA

The exhibit space has been totally reimagined by the Museum, with a refurbishment and rearrangement of its displays. Christine Kondoleon, the George D. and Margo Behrakis Chair for the Art of Ancient Greece and Rome; Phoebe Segal, the Mary Bryce Comstock Curator of Greek and Roman Art; and Laure Marest, the Cornelius and Emily Vermeule Assistant Curator for Greek and Roman Art, were in charge of this ambitious multiyear project.

A major renovation and reinstallation of four galleries at the heart of the Museum’s George D. and Margo Behrakis Wing for Art of the Ancient World, is now underway. The galleries will display nearly 500 objects ranging from the beginnings of Greek art (about 1,100 BC) through the fall of Constantinople in the 15th century and into the present day.

In addition to the ancient Greek earring, visitors can see a head depicting Polyphemos, the Cyclops who Odysseus and his men encounter on their way back home from Troy. When the warriors take refuge in the cave of the one-eyed Cyclops, Odysseus asks the giant to welcome them as Zeus would wish. Hear the reply of Polyphemos in Robert Fagles’s translation of The Odyssey, read by Jeremiah Kissel, in an audio recording produced by the Museum, here.

Scheduled to open in the Autumn of 2021, this project will create a grand entry for visitors to the MFA’s renowned collection of Classical art — considered to be one of the finest and most comprehensive in the world. The galleries will showcase iconic highlights of the collection, including many objects that have not been on view, adding to a renovated suite of 11 Classical galleries completed since 2009 — most recently “Daily Life in Ancient Greece.”

Themes of democracy, religion, philosophy and literature explored in new galleries

The renovations are made possible by a broad coalition of 24 donors, led by George D. and Margo Behrakis, The Krupp Family Foundation, Richard and Nancy Lubin and an anonymous donor.

“The MFA’s Greek, Roman and Byzantine collections are foundational to this Museum,” said Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund Director. “These new galleries will bring to life the richness of Classical art, providing contemporary perspectives on the era’s profound legacy. Original interpretation will allow us to have conversations across time and geography, exploring themes that remain central to our society today, including democracy, religion, philosophy and literature.”

In these galleries, fortunate visitors will again be able to view the work of ancient Greek and Roman artists as they represented myths visually through a selection of vases, sculpture, and jewelry from the 6th century BC to the 3rd century AD.

The Museum states that the five galleries on Level 2 of the Behrakis Wing will provide visitors with a grand entry to the MFA’s renowned collection of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine art — which is one of the finest and most comprehensive in the world.

Many of the featured works are among the oldest in the collection, yet they will tell new stories, reflecting our time through the art of the past. With innovative new displays, visitors of all ages can understand the legacy of an ancient way of life and how it resonates today.

New “Gods and Goddesses” and Byzantine Galleries

A highlight of the renovation is a new gallery dedicated to “Gods and Goddesses,” which will re-create the atmosphere of a temple. Featuring large-scale sculptures as well as more intimate objects ranging in date from the 5th century BC to the 3rd century AD, the immersive space will introduce the personalities, feats and fates of the deities the Greeks and Romans worshiped, and explore ancient religious practices.

A Byzantine gallery, the first of its kind in New England, will cover a geographically diverse collection of works ranging in origin from the era of Emperor Constantine the Great in the 4th century to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. This includes the 15th-century Monopoli altar, which will be on view for the first time after undergoing major conservation. Evocative of an altar in an early Byzantine church, the space will feature a soundscape reflecting liturgical chants.

A gallery exploring Early Greek Art — a major strength of the MFA’s collection — from its beginnings in the wake of Mycenae (about 1,100 BC) to the Persian Wars (480/479 BC) includes the Mantiklos Apollo, the most famous object in the MFA’s Greek collection.

A slideshow of some of the priceless treasures, including the magnificent ancient Greek earring, can be seen here. You can keep up to date with the progress of the reopening at the Museum’s website and sign up for their newsletters here.

In addition, there is now a free, downloadable app called MFA Mobile, available at Apple’s App Store or Google Play Store, where visitors can access information, maps, and interpretive content on their smartphones.

The app offers tours for “Monet and Boston: Lasting Impression,” which includes additional audio commentary by curator Katie Hanson, and “Cézanne: In and Out of Time.” Exhibition texts are accessible both on the app and on the gallery walls, allowing visitors to choose the way they want to experience written interpretation.

Comments

The World’s Oldest Living Olive Tree is on Crete

The most ancient olive tree in the world, in Crete. Credit: Dimitra Damian/Greek Reporter The oldest olive tree in the world is located in the village of Ano Vouves of Kissamos in Chania, Crete. The ancient tree is 3000 years old, as determined by the international scientific community. The ancient olive tree in Vouves has a trunk with a circumference of 12.5 meters (41 feet), and a diameter of 4.6 meters (15 feet). It belongs to the local tree variety of tsounati, and was grafted at a height of 3 meters onto a wild olive tree. Because of the grafting, its trunk has been so beautifully shaped by nature that it resembles a sculpture. In 1990, after a unanimous decision in the prefecture of Chania, the Vouves Olive Tree was declared a Natural Monument of great importance due to its status as the world’s oldest tree of its kind. The oldest olive tree still produces high-quality olives The fruits of the ancient olive tree make the best olive oil in the world, making the area...

Inside the Magnificent Minoan Palace of Knossos in Crete

The Minoan palace at Knossos. Credit: Gary Bembridge /Wikimedia Commons/ CC-BY-2.0 The Palace of Knossos, located about five kilometers (three miles) south of Heraklion on Kephala hill, was the largest of all the Minoan palaces in Crete. It was also at the core of the highly sophisticated civilization that flourished on the island over 3,500 years ago. The discovery of the Minoan Palace of Knossos The discovery and subsequent excavation of the palace dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century. Before then, Knossos had only served as a place mentioned in Greek mythology. The first modern scholar to take a serious interest in the area was the German Heinrich Schliemann, who in 1870 had excavated the site believed to be Troy. Schliemann was certain that a major Minoan palace lay hidden near Heraklion, but the Ottoman authorities who still ruled the island at the time denied any permission to dig there. Years afterward, the British archaeologist Arthur Evans, inspired b...

Ten Unforgettable Things to Do Around Syntagma Square in Athens

Syntagma Square, Athens. Credit: Public Domain Syntagma Square has literally been the very heart of Athens ever since the city became the capital of the modern Greek state. With the Greek Parliament building and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier looming over it, it is rich with history and is the place where most major events of the last two centuries have taken place. Its name in Greek means “Constitution Square,” a name granted by Greece’s first modern royal, King Otto, on September 3, 1843, after an uprising of the people. This was a smart political move, since the royal palace overlooked the square. In 1934, the royal palace was turned over to the Greek Parliament, and ever since that time, Syntagma Square has been the place where all public protests and demonstrations have taken place. Syntagma Square home to historic demonstrations and protests In December of 1944, just after the departure of the occupying Nazi troops, a people’s rally at the square was marred b...

The Greek Who Taught the Japanese to Eat Feta Cheese and Olive Oil

Credit: Facebook/ Thanasis Fragkis Pioneering businessman Thanasis Fragkis was the very first person to introduce olive oil and other traditional Greek products to Japan more than a decade ago. Olive oil, wine, feta cheese and Greek yogurt, relatively unknown food items to this Far Eastern country, are now being enjoyed as the great gourmet delicacies they are. Speaking to Greek Reporter from his home in the town of Mito, around 120 km (76 miles) north of Tokyo, Fragkis was justifiably proud of his achievement. “We have taught the Japanese to eat olive oil, cheeses, including feta, yogurt that were not part of their diet. They hardly knew of olive oil,” he says in wonderment. Originally from the town of Kymi on the island of Evia, Fragkis emigrated to England, where he met his future wife, who is Japanese. “When we got married we thought ‘you are Japanese, I am Greek, what is the point of living in England?’. Greece was a difficult place to start a business in at the ti...

Water Shortages On Islands Plaguing Greece This Summer

Tap water is a precious commodity on the Greek islands and one that is in short supply. Credit: Ishwah Murth Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Island water shortages and stoppages are plaguing Greece this summer. Promoted for its beautiful seawater surrounding all the Greek isles and its entire coastline, many islands are suffering from a lack of quantity — and quality of tap water. Turning on the tap and finding an abundant flow of water has become a basic expectation in civilized society of the 21st century, particularly when you are on a vacation that is meant to offer a bit of away-from-home luxury. However, on some Greek islands, access to whiskey is easier to come by than water. Greek island water shortages and water stoppages are common nowadays. Carol Berkley, from London, who is vacationing at an AirBnB property in the area of Marathi on Mykonos told Greek Reporter, “We had just come back from the beach. There are four of us here on the property....

Άρης: «Είναι ωραία στη 2η θέση, είναι και δίκαιο»

Έχοντας σε μεγάλη μέρα τον Κρίστιαν Γκάνεα, ο οποίος πέτυχε ένα γκολ και μοίρασε άλλο ένα, ο Άρης επικράτησε 3-0 του Ατρομήτου και βρέθηκε ξανά στην δεύτερη θέση της βαθμολογίας και πλέον ρίχνει το βάρος στο παιχνίδι Κυπέλλου που ακολουθεί με τον Ολυμπιακό στο Βικελίδης. Ο Άρης έδιωξε με εντυπωσιακό τρόπο μια κατάρα δέκα χρόνων απέναντι στους Περιστεριώτες, καθώς επικράτησε του Ατρομήτου 3-0 στο «Κλεάνθης Βικελίδης» χάρη στα τέρματα των Γκάνεα, Σάσα και Σίλβα. Με τη λήξη της αναμέτρησης οι «κιτρινόμαυροι» χτύπησαν στα social media για τη νίκη επί των Περιστεριωτών και τη συνέχεια σε Πρωτάθλημα και Κύπελλο: «Είναι ωραία στη 2η θέση. Είναι και δίκαιο. Δεν σταματάμε...».

Έκανε το εμβόλιο της Johnson και δεν μπορεί να περπατήσει

Την περιπέτειά του μετά από τον εμβολιασμό του με το σκεύασμα της Johnson & Johnson περιγράφει μέσω του Instagram o Γιώργος Βαγιαννίδης. Όπως αναφέρει στην ανάρτησή του, έκανε το εμβόλιο την 1η Σεπτεμβρίου και σήμερα νοσηλεύεται σε νοσοκομείο αφού δεν μπορεί να σταθεί όρθιος, ούτε να περπατήσει. Μάλιστα δημοσιεύει και φωτογραφίες από το νοσοκομείο. Δείτε αναλυτικά όλα όσα αναφέρει στην ανάρτησή του: Καλησπέρα σας, ονομάζομαι Γεώργιος Βαγιαννίδης. Επειδή τον τελευταίο καιρό έχουν ακουστεί πολλά, οφείλω να ξεκαθαρίσω τη θέση μου, για να μην υπάρχουν περαιτέρω αερολογίες σχετικά με την κατάσταση της υγείας μου. Τετάρτη, 1 Σεπτεμβρίου, έκλεισα το ραντεβού για τον εμβολιασμό μου (Johnson’s and Johnson’s). Να τονίσω πως ήταν καθαρά δική μου επιλογή και ΚΑΝΕΝΑΣ δε μου προέτρεψε να το κάνω. Πήγα λοιπόν στο ΓΝ Κατερίνης και το έκανα. Όλα αυτά γύρω στις 16.00. Πολύ τυπικά τα πράγματα. Το μόνο που μου είπαν είναι «Περίμενε...

Κορονοϊός Ινδία: Για πρώτη φορά πάνω από 50.000 κρούσματα σε ένα 24ωρο

Η Ινδία ανακοίνωσε σήμερα, Πέμπτη 30 Ιουλίου, πάνω από 50.000 νέα ημερήσια κρούσματα για πρώτη φορά, λόγω της αύξησης των μολύνσεων στις μη αστικές περιοχές σε μια περίοδο κατά την οποία η κυβέρνηση χαλαρώνει περαιτέρω τους περιορισμούς στις μετακινήσεις και το εμπόριο. Το τελευταίο 24ωρο καταγράφηκαν 52.123 νέα κρούσματα, σύμφωνα με τα στοιχεία των ομοσπονδιακών αρχών υγείας, με τον συνολικό αριθμό των κρουσμάτων να φθάνει σχεδόν το 1,6 εκατομμύριο. Το ίδιο διάστημα, 775 άνθρωποι έχασαν τη ζωή τους λόγω του κορονοϊού, με τον συνολικό αριθμό των θανάτων να πλησιάζει τους 35.000 –που αν και είναι χαμηλός συγκριτικά με τον συνολικό αριθμό των κρουσμάτων, δεν εμφανίζει ιδιαίτερες τάσεις επιβράδυνσης. Ενώ οι μεγάλες πόλεις, όπως το Νέο Δελχί και το Μουμπάι, καταγράφουν επιβράδυνση στον αριθμό των κρουσμάτων, τα περιστατικά στις αγροτικές περιοχές συνεχίζουν να αυξάνονται με αλματώδεις ρυθμούς, προκαλώντας ιδιαίτερη ανησυχία στους ειδικούς που φοβο...

The Mystery of the Oldest Throne in Europe at the Palace of Knossos

Photo: Olaf Tausch /Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY 3.0 In the palace of Knossos in Crete, at the centre of Minoan civilization, a magnificent throne room built during the 15th century BC is considered the oldest such room in Europe. Knossos flourished for approximately two thousand years. It had large palace buildings, extensive workshop installations and luxurious rock-cut cave and tholos tombs. As a major center of trade and the economy, Knossos maintained ties with the majority of cities in the Eastern Mediterranean. The palace was a great labyrinthine complex of 20,000 meters in length, a ceremonial, religious and political center that reflected great wealth, power, and highly advanced architecture. It was based around a central courtyard with more than one thousand interlinked, maze-like halls and chambers. An artist’s recreation of the Palace of Knossos. Photo: Mmoyaq/Wikimedia commons/ CC BY-SA 3.0 The throne room was unearthed in 1900 by British archaeologist Arthur Ev...

A Carefree Sustainable Vacation Awaits You at the Byzantine Mansion Turned Hotel in Monemvasia

A Byzantine-era mansion turned hotel a few kilometers away from the magnificent castle of Monemvasia has opened its doors for the Summer of 2020, as Greece is gradually relaxing its Covid-19 restrictions. Kinsterna Hotel is a model of autonomy and sustainability, functioning harmoniously within a rich and lively natural environment. But more importantly, it adheres to all health and safety regulations and it’s size enables social distancing, which is of paramount importance in the coronavirus times. Tables in the spacious gardens have been placed at a distance from each other as well as the deck chairs next to the pool. Privacy, cleanness, and social distancing are the major preoccupation of the owners of this gem of a hotel. It is the ideal launching pad for discovering the amazing rock of Monemvasia. A small island connected to the mainland town by a 400-meter causeway. The surviving buildings and defensive structures of the fortress include impressive rampar...

Qoutes

Search This Blog