Homecoming. Cycladic treasures on their return journey

THE EXHIBITION

The exhibition “Homecoming. Cycladic treasures on their return journey” opened on the 3rd of November 2022, and will last until October 31, 2023, presenting 15 antiquities for the first time internationally. It is the first step of the historic agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Museum of Cycladic Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (The Met), which was ratified by the Greek Parliament on September 9, 2022.The agreement foresees the gradual return to Greece of 161 Early Cycladic antiquities of unique archaeological value of the American collector Leonard Stern. Following this, the entire collection will be exhibited at The Met, before the final return of the entirety of these antiquities to Greece, their country of origin.The exhibition includes rare exhibits which will bring new scientific knowledge to Early Cycladic art. Among them, there are types that could be described as unique, either as a whole or in their individual morphological characteristics, as they have not appeared before in the corpus of the known works of Early Cycladic culture.The antiquities presented –ten marble figurines and five vases made of marble, steatite and clay– cover a wide chronological range, from the times of the Late Neolithic period to those of the Early Cycladic II period (c. 5300 – 2400/2300 BC). The figurines depict solely the female figure and belong to types and varieties corresponding to the styles of each period (schematic, precanonical, canonical), while the vases represent some of the most characteristic types of vessels covering the entire Early Cycladic period.

TICKETING INFORMATION

General Entrance&nbsp;€6Free Admission•	Cycladic Friends•	Children under 18•	Visitors with disabilities and their companion•	Greek unemployed citizens, with their current unemployment card•	Archaeology and art history students•	Greek Ministry of Culture employees•	Members of ICOM - ICOMOS•	Journalists•	Qualified tour guides

ONLINE TICKETS

EXHIBITION SECTIONS

The exhibition of the 15 Early Cycladic antiquities is divided into three chronological sections, each of them developed in a separate room in the Stathatos Mansion wing. The artefacts are classified according to their typological parallels and the conclusions of modern academic research about the chronological correspondence of each type. The first section evolves around exceptional and rare vases mainly of the Early Cycladic I period (c. 3200 – 2800 BC), as well as a Neolithic figurine demonstrating the origin of the Early Cycladic figurines from their Neolithic predecessors. The second section presents antiquities dating back to the Transitional Early Cycladic I/II period (c. 2800 - 2700 BC). These are the precursors that foreshadow the figures of the following period, as well as two stone and clay vases belonging to special types of Early Cycladic art. Finally, the third section presents figurines of the so-called canonical type, Spedos variety, the most widespread and numerous variety of the Early Cycladic II period (c. 2700 – 2400/2300 BC), as well as a marble spouted bowl.

The central idea and the architectural design of the exhibition has been implemented by KOIS Associated Architects. The main goal of the study was to create a balance between the antiquities and the neoclassical building of the Stathatos Mansion, two elements unrelated to each other. In search of a commonplace that would create the atmosphere of coexistence between these two elements, the Stathatos Mansion halls, along their architectural decoration, have been covered by a translucent fabric that filters the light, weakening, thus, their presence. As a result, the fabric serves as a filter for viewing the building and at the same time as the background for the presentation of the exhibits.

As stated by the President and CEO of the Museum of Cycladic Art, Kassandra Marinopoulou: “An exceptional and largely unknown collection of Cycladic antiquities by the American collector Leonard N. Stern, with rare and unique artefacts progressively makes its way back home. This is a historic moment for our country, for the Museum of Cycladic Art, but also for me personally, as we are participating in an unprecedented collaboration with the Greek State and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, contributing, thus, to the return of 161 Cycladic masterpieces and paving the way for the return of other antiquities in the future. We strongly believe that collaborations between museums is the only way forward.The dissemination and promotion of Cycladic and ancient Greek culture internationally has always been the mission of the Museum of Cycladic Art. I feel very proud because this mission is now being fulfilled to the utmost, both with the present exhibition of the first 15 antiquities at the Museum of Cycladic Art and with those that will follow the same path both to Greece and the USA. The prospects for further cooperation with the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports and The Met at various levels, especially through the deeper study of the Cycladic culture, scientific analyses and collaborations, will greatly contribute to the achievement of this goal”.

As stated by the Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Max Hollein:“The mission of The Met is to enable art to be enjoyed and studied. We are thrilled to celebrate this important milestone in the historic partnership with Greece that brings an important collection of Cycladic antiquities into the public sphere permanently and for the first time. This agreement builds on years of a fruitful partnership between the Greek government and The Met, and we are delighted to be able to play a role in an arrangement that will benefit visitors and scholars for generations to come.&nbsp;We are deeply grateful to Leonard N. Stern for dedicating funds to The Met for the study of these exceptional works and related archival material—which will allow us to thoroughly catalogue and publish the collection—and we are excited to present the entire group of 161 objects as a long-term loan in 2024. The Met extends special thanks to Greece and the Museum of Cycladic Art for our strong partnership and for authorizing this historic loan, and we look forward to continuing our ongoing conversations about future exchanges of scholarship and expertise. We all benefit from the public display of art.”

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE EARLY CYCLADIC CULTURE

The nature and significance of the Early Cycladic culture are not easy to determine. The latter flourished in the Cyclades, in the central Aegean, during the 3rd millennium BC. The absence of written sources and the fact that a large number of these objects did not come to light through systematic excavations, leave the interpretation about their meaning and purpose open. Created by the island communities, these artefacts –especially the marble figurines– allow for a more effective consideration of the Cycladic societies.As works of an anthropocentric culture, they mainly depict naked female figures and constitute the most characteristic creation of Early Cycladic art. Despite their abstraction and simplicity, essential characteristics have been preserved and have become the greatest source of inspiration for important Modernist artists.

EXHIBITION CATALOGUE

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