THE ANCIENT WORLD

The Ancient World collection shows works of art from the Ancient Orient, Egypt and Classical Antiquity.
Among the Ancient Egyptian exhibits, pride of place is held by burial reliefs and precious objects laid in tombs such as stoneware, amulets or statuettes. The changes which took place in burial customs in Egypt from early times up to the era of the Roman emperors can be traced by sarcophagi, plaster masks and portraits of the mummified deceased. Many votive statuettes show Egyptian deities, while the Armana reliefs illustrate Echnaton’s and Nofretete’s concentration on the cult of Aton.

Greek and Roman antiquity is represented by Cycladic figur-ines of idols and Minoan and Mycenaean pottery from the Aegean Bronze Age. Burial urns and a series of outstanding reliefs from Attic tombs document the changing funeral cult from the 8th Century B.C. to Hellenistic times. Central themes of Greek life such as wine-drinking, sports, war or the role of women are depicted on these; reliefs dedicated to the gods and votive bronzes give an insight into the cult practices in Greek religious shrines


Etruscan art forms another cornerstone of the collection. Besides possessing outstanding examples of Etruscan ceramic work and bronzes, the Museum also has one of the most comprehensive collections of Etruscan nefrosculptures outside Italy. Roman art is principally represented by an important group of Roman portraits. A particular attraction of the collection is the jewellery chamber with precious objects in gold and silver.