National Archaeological Museum

▪ museum, Athens, Greece

Greek  Ethnikon Archaiologikon Mouseion, 

      in Athens, museum of ancient Greek art, containing probably the finest collection of Greek antiquities in the world. The museum was erected in 1866–89 and extended in 1925–39, when an additional wing was built. The holdings include sculpture, bronzes, pottery, jewelry, and artifacts from all parts of Greece; they range in date from the Mycenaean period to the Hellenistic Age.

      Among the museum treasures are the contents of six shaft graves from Mycenae, including gold objects, cups, diadems, and a bull's head in silver with gold horns and rosettes. Treasures of archaic Greek sculpture include many kouros and kore figures (standing male and female figures) as well as fine vases. The best-known kouros is the colossal figure from the temple of Poseidon at Sounion. Sculptural fragments from the pediments of the Temple of Aphaia at Aegina illustrate the preclassical phase of Greek sculpture. Sculpture of the classical period of the 5th century BC is well represented. An especially fine piece is the bronze statue of Poseidon found off Cape Artemision in 1928 and dating from about 450, possibly by the sculptor Kalamis.

* * *