Ancient Greek artifacts travel to Seoul

An exhibition featuring hundreds of ancient Greek artifacts is being held at Seoul Art Center’s Hangaram Art Museum. 

The exhibition, titled “The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great,” features some 350 artifacts gathered from 24 local museums in Greece, including the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki and the Archaeological Museum of Pella. 

The exhibition is designed to allow the visitor to explore the cultures of the region, from the early Aegean civilizations to the Hellenistic period.

One of the highlights is a replica of the famous golden mask of Agamemnon, brought from the Archaeological Museum of Mycenae.

The original golden mask, discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876 at the tomb of the king of Mycenae, is the only item that the Greek government allowed to be taken out of the country, according to the exhibition organizer.

The exhibition also shows a fresco of a fisherman that dates back to the 17th century BC. This Bronze Age artifact from the Minoan town Akrotiri on the island of Santorini offers a look into the Aegean culture.

A bust of the Greek poet Homer and sculptures of the Olympian gods who appear in his epic poems are also on display.

Amphoras, the two-handled Greek ceramic vessels that were presented to the winners of the ancient Greek Olympics, are shown as well.

A golden leaf crown of ancient Macedonian origin is also part of the exhibition, presented together with artifacts dating to the reign of Philip II, the king of Macedon and the father of Alexander the Great. 

A marble sculpture of Alexander the Great is another highlight.

The exhibition runs through Sept. 15.

By Shim Woo-hyun(ws@heraldcorp.com)