To me, a visit to Athens would not be complete with visiting the National Archaeological Museum. It has the reputation of being one of the greatest museums in the world, containing the richest collection of artifacts from Greek antiquity world.
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| The imposing neo-classical entrance to the National Archaeological Museum |
The day we visited the museum happened to be a public holiday so entrance was free. We used the service of a local guide for an hour and she enthralled us with her mastery of the English language and her grasp of the artifacts from the Mycenaean and classical periods.
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| The Artemision Bronze |
Without a doubt, my most favourite piece was the Artemision Bronze. Here, the figure (was it Zeus or Poseidon?) literally packed a punch, with a perfect six pack and a perfectly honed physique. Lots of tourists posed in front of the statue, and had to be tempered by a guard. I noted that all the guards in the museum were females, and most of them rather attractive.
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| Jockey of Artemision |
Found at the same shipwreck off Cape Artemision as the Artemision Bronze was this fine equestrian statue. One can almost hear the gallop of the horse and feel the intensity of the race, with a small boy riding bareback.
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| Gold covering the body of an infant, Mycenaean period, 16th century BC |
For me, the most impressive artefacts were the findings from the archaeological excavation at the site of Mycenae, donated to the Greek nation by the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. Among the objects he unearthed was a series of gold death masks, including the gold coverings of a dead child.
There were so many fabulous pieces; here are just a few that I love.
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| Gold headdress |
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| Wall frescoes from Santorini |
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| Cycladic female sculptures |
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| Ivory comb |
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| Aphrodite |
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| A funerary stele |
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| Augustus |
