The A. G. Leventis Gallery of Ancient Cyprus – British Museum, London
The A. G. Leventis Gallery of Ancient Cyprus at the British Museum in London was inaugurated in December 1987 and contains outstanding Cypriot antiquities found during excavations of the late 19th century. In 2011 the gallery was reorganised and renovated with the support of the A. G. Leventis Foundation. Its reopening in 2012 was planned to mark Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The original display, created more than 25 years ago, has been updated in line with modern scholarship. New texts have been created to present our current understanding of the island’s history, conforming to modern standards of interpretation and access. Large graphic panels evoke the geography, landscape and archaeological sites of Cyprus. Three key elements of the new display are: the creation of an explicit chronological sequence telling the story of Cyprus from 10,000 BC to AD 395; the redisplay of the sculpture illustrating the development of the human form; and the creation of a contextual display on the famous Sanctuary of Apollo-Reshef at Dali (ancient Idalion). The gallery renovation has also enabled the display of important items of sculpture from Dali that have previously been held in storage.
Grants given:
1985, 1986, 2011
