Museum
of Civilization is the only North American venue for the international
tour of The Greeks
Gatineau,
Quebec, March 14, 2008 — Athens, Sparta, Troy and Constantinople — the
names echo the incredible history and power of ancient empires. The Greek
world left a significant imprint on Western culture and civilizations.
Discover 8,000 years of history in the Museum’s upcoming must-see
exhibition, The Greeks.
Opening
on May 30 at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, this exhibition presents
a stunning array of more than 180 artifacts from the prestigious Benaki
Museum in Athens. This exceptional collection includes sculptures and
ceramics, jewellery and embroidered textiles, paintings, metalwork,
religious icons, toys, figurines, lamps, wooden chests and more. These
artifacts provide an insight into the diversity of Greek art, culture and
society.
“Ancient
Greek civilization has had an enormous influence on the social, cultural
and political life of much of the world,” said Dr. Victor Rabinovitch,
President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation.
“We’re delighted to bring this complex and fascinating story to a
Canadian audience, especially through such a diverse and exquisite
collection of artifacts.”
The
objects in the first section of the exhibition, Prehistory and Antiquity
(7000 BCE – fourth century CE), are from a time when agriculture and
animal husbandry were first established on Greek soil, and up to the early
centuries of the Common Era, when Greece was part of the Roman Empire. The
artifacts bear witness to the unparalleled sweep of Greek civilization,
which continues to influence the world today. One striking example is a
crown of oak leaves and flowers in engraved and embossed gold leaf from
the Hellenistic period. Another is the marble head from a statue of Paris,
a figure in Greek mythology that dates from the Roman period.
In
The Byzantine Period section (fifth century – fifteenth century) objects
span 1,000 years, beginning with the fall of Rome in 476 CE, when only the
eastern section of the Roman Empire survived. The Byzantine Empire’s,
linguistic and cultural heritage remained essentially Greek and many of
its traditions, symbols and institutions were drawn from its Hellenistic
and Roman past. The artifacts in this section reflect political, artistic,
intellectual and religious influences that extended far beyond the borders
of the Byzantine Empire and include objects such as a processional cross
from Constantinople made from moulded, hammered, engraved and punched
copper.
In
the third section, The Greeks in the Ottoman Empire (fifteenth century –
eighteenth century), the artifacts represent the period when the Greek
world fell into the hands of the Ottoman Turks. The richness of the
artifacts attests to the resilience of Greek culture under foreign
domination and shows that Ottoman rule did not signify the end of the
Greek world. One of the objects in this section is an elegant chalice in
gilded silver plate, inspired by the ornamentation on European watches
imported into the East.
The
last section, Towards an Independent Greek State, displays objects from
the early decades of the nineteenth century, when the Greek people rose up
against the Ottoman Empire and gained their independence. Some artifacts
in this section date from the 10-year Greek War of Independence while
others attest to the enduring power of Greece as a defining force in the
Western imagination and identity. One such object is a magnificent oil
painting of the English poet Lord Byron in Greek costume.
The
Museum of Civilization will be the only venue in Canada for the
international tour of The Greeks. The Museum has specially selected 12
artifacts that will be displayed nowhere else on the tour.
The
exhibition, The Greeks, is presented at the Canadian Museum of
Civilization from May 30 to September 28, 2008.
The
Benaki Museum is known internationally as a leading repository of Greek
treasures. It was founded in 1930 by Antonis Benakis, who contributed his
private collection, in memory of his father Emmanuel Benakis. The Greek
collection now boasts more than 40,000 artifacts. The Museum also includes
Coptic, Chinese, Pre-Columbian and Islamic art. The collections are housed
in many locations in Athens, including the former mansion of the Benaki
family in central Athens, adjacent to the Presidential Palace and the
Greek National Gardens.
