A reception to mark the reopening of the renovated ‘Ancient Cyprus’ room was held at the British Museum. Room 72, which bears the name of a great British Museum sponsor, Anastasios G. Leventis, now holds a refreshed exhibition of antiquities that highlights the significance of Cyprus in the world cultural heritage narrative.
The impressive exhibits form chronological, geographical and thematic chapters, acting as storytelling conduit for an age-long culture; a culture that has been a melting pot of influences throughout history, but which finds a common component in the distinctive character of the land where it was born, as the Museum’s curator for Cypriot antiquities, Thomas Kiely, said.
The narration of Cyprus’ history through texts and exhibits starts from the earlier bronze age (10,000 – 1750 B.C.) up to the late Roman period. The exhibition has been refreshed not only in content but in terms of decoration of the hall as well.
The visitor cannot help but stand in awe before the wonderfully detailed votive statues excavated at ancient Idalion, dating from 700 to 100 B.C., found at local ancient sanctuary and exhibited for the first time in a hundred years. One of the involved staff’s favourite objects is the smoothly carved ‘Chatsworth head’, a bronze head probably depicting Apollo, named after Chatsworth House, residence of the 6th Duke of Devonshire and his successors who kept the head there for decades.
The new texts accompanying the exhibits offer comprehensive information on the background of what visitors see, having replaced the previous plain descriptions.
The British Museum director, Neil McGregor spoke of a “wonderfully international Cyprus” and extended his thanks to the Leventis Foundation and family for their continuing support, demonstrated through the initiative to refurbish the Cyprus room. He added that he regards with pride the fact that the first such exhibition supported by the Leventis Foundation was the British Museum’s one.
Speaking on behalf of the Leventis Foundation, Louisa Leventis said that the refurbished exhibition is a reaffirmation of the foundation’s first major sponsorship. She repeated her father’s words, the late Dinos Leventis, during the opening of the Cyprus antiquities room in 1987: “One of our hopes is that this gallery will serve expatriates Cypriots as a spiritual link to their island of origin and to that of their adoption.” Speaking to CNA Louisa Leventis noted that the decision to renovate the Cyprus room was taken in order to coincide with the Cyprus presidency of the European Union Council.
In his address, the High Commissioner of Cyprus to the UK, Mr Alexander Zenon said that the refreshed and reorganised displays are impressive and perfectly reflect the needs of modern visitors and scholars. He referred to the influences on Cyprus by numerous civilisations “through, unfortunately, a tragic history of conquests,” but stressed that despite this history, the heritage of Cyprus points to an undeniable fact – its Hellenic and European identity. “It is, therefore, very timely indeed that today’s event takes place while Cyprus holds, for the first time, the Presidency of the Council of the EU.
We have carried out this role with responsibility, enthusiasm and determination in an adverse economic situation, at home and in many EU member-states. (…) If nothing else, our turn at the helm of the EU demonstrates that Cyprus has found its rightful place – to be part of the European family, to which historically and culturally always belonged,” added the High Commissioner.
Thomas Kiely, who was in charge of the renovation, told CNA that he hopes Cypriots of London’s “Nicosia-on-Thames” will be able to see their island’s evolution through the centuries and identify with the evolution of their own personal histories. He also stressed that he would like the British visitors to stop for a minute while examining the exhibition and think that Cyprus is so much more than a fun holiday destination.
Attending the reopening reception were the Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain Gregorios, the Ambassador of Greece in the UK, members of the Leventis Foundation and family, British Museum scholars and personnel, academics, members of London’s Cypriot community and friends of Cyprus.
