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Treasures of Macedonia : the exhibition of ancient metalwork in the archaeological museum of Thessaloniki (figs. 1-4)

Αρχαιολογικά χρονικά

• Ρωμιοπούλου, Αικατερίνη

Some time ago the Archaeological Service had planned to mount an exhibition at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki to show the development of metalwork in the north Greek area as a significant aspect of the cultural history of this district. The rich harvest of fine metalwork from excavations conducted by the Greek Archaeological Service in various parts of northern Greece for the past two decades and the rediscovery of finds from pre-war excavations and chance finds of all kinds of metalware wich had accumulated in the museum storerooms provided more than sufficient reason and impetus for staging an exhibition where for the first time both scholars and the general public would have the opportunity of becoming acquainted with the impressive production of ancient Macedonianworkshops [ in their entirety ], all the more valuable from the scientific point of view because the finds were to be shown in context ( tomb groups ).Two events lent wings to thç realization of the project : the finds from Vergi- na and the International Congress on Aristotle held in August 1978.Preliminary work began in February 1978 after various bureaucratic and technical snags had been obviated; but the technical planning and execution of the work did not get under weigh until May of 1978. In June a distressing event upset our schedule and interrupted our preparations : the earthquakes which struck Thessaloniki. The city suffered sore damage as did her monuments and the museum building.The beginning of July saw two different kinds of work progressing at high speed : repair of the building which had been quite severely damaged by the earthquake ( the walls at the entrance to the museum and in certain other places had to be rebuilt, all of the glass showcases which had broken had to be replaced, the waterproofing had to be redone where cracks had developed in the roof) ; and, secondly, special installations required for the exhibit ( ceiling partitions and screen walls ). Finally, the exhibition was set up in the amazingly short time of one and a half months and dedicated on the 8th of August ; but a few days earlier those of whose who had been struggling to finish had thought this an unattainable goal.The preliminary preparations had two phases. First, the search through the storerooms and museum galleries for suitable artifacts ( National Museum of Athens, Komotini, Kavala, Thessaloniki, Véroia, Kozani, Larissa and Volos); the objects from other museums had to be labelled, collected and transported to Thessaloniki ; and when the finds had been brought together in one place the work of conservation, photography and classification in groups was carried out. Secondly, the galleries where the exhibition was to be installed had to be reorganized1. The area judged most suitable was crammed with showcases 2x2 m., standing side by side containing the various artifacts comprising the permanent collections of pottery and small finds of the prehistoric and classical eras. In order to make room for the present exhibit it was necessary to move the showcases and their contents to museum storerooms and to set them up so that would at least be accessible to specialists and then properly to arrange the types of artifacts which were to be put on show.There was no way of escaping the necessity of removing part of the permanent collections because no provision had been made for temporary exhibits. But such unorthodox procedures are best avoided.From the beginning we rejected the conventional method of showing metalware in chronological order arranged by categories in vast cases all the same size set up in rows in a neutral gallery with natural light waxing and waning according to the time of day.Since the exhibits were offerings from graves we attempted to create the im192 ΑΡΧΑΙΑ ΜΕΤΑΛΛΟΤΕΧΝΙΑ ΣΤΟ ΜΟΥΣΕΙΟ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗΣ (Κ. ΡΩΜΙΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ)pression of an underground chamber tomb or, in general, of an enclosed sepulchral area, by using screens and false ceilings painted with natural earth colours heightened by the lighting. The passage between the cases which were set into the wall, narrowed down to a corridor at intervals in order to enliven the presentation in terms of geographical units, preserving an equilibrium between the small scale of the artifacts and their great value. This system of divisions also serves to give the visitor the feeling that he is alone with the objects and enables him more easily to concentrate on the individual pieces.Our aim was to show that the works of art are like a precious reliquary containing our ancestral heritage presented in a unified architectonic scheme calculated to evoke not only an aesthetic but also a deeper emotional response (plan 1 ).The outside dimensions of the cases set into the wall are all the same but the inside dimensions have been varied with panels and .platforms or by tilting the floor. The height, width and depth of the cases has been modified according to the size and ornamental details of the artifacts. Thus they capture the viewer’s attention by giving the impression that they emerge out of infinity ( indeterminable depth ). The bases and backgrounds are made of wood and painted. Wood was used as much as possible because the texture is better suited to showing off gold and silver than bases covered with cloth.For the lighting we used small yellow lights in the ceiling which is coloured chesqut brown, thus illuminating thewhole passage unobtrusively, whereas the cases were mostly lit from above and behind. At the back of each case is a piece of material dyed in such a way as to create an illusion of boundless depths out of which the artifacts emerge.Apart from the metalwork which forms the main thrust of the show, there are also texts relating to the history of Macedonia and in particular to the activities of the royal dynasties who governed the area. At the cost of seeming to exaggerate we must emphasize that the history of ancient Macedonia is the history of its kings ; with the system of administration which was then in force their actions determined the role played by Macedonia in politics and in cultural activities. The finds from Vergina are elucidated by means of photographs and colour slides shown non-stop and by texts written by Professor M. Andro- nikos.Our aim was to convey full information about the political-artistic role of ancient Macedonia down to the time of the Roman conquest, beyond the mere display of the objects many of which are artworks unique of their kind. Two publications serve this purpose, the first report on the excavations of the royal tombs at Vergina by Professor M. An- dronikos and the descriptive catalogue of the exhibition “ Treasures of Ancient Macedonia ” which provides introductory material.In order to increase the educational value of the exhibit, photographs and plans of monuments and sites in Macedonia will be on show in another gallery. This material will be accompanied by explanatory texts, quotations from ancient authors and other types of archaeological finds so that the visitor will be able to absorb a great deal of condensed information about the history and civilization of Macedonia without being bored by pedantic details2. The success of the first such a special exhibition which was organized in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki and the unanimous positive response which the manner of presentation evoked both at home and abroad, the great increase in the number of visitors to the museum in constrast with previous years demonstrated the public interest for this type of exhibitions. If the museums of Greece are to continue organizing this kind of exhibition a few basic requirements will have to be met : (1) the museum must have a wing or other space which can be adapted to the needs to temporary ethibitions, (2) Adequate systematic planning well in advance to solve the many technical problems and to guarantee the security of the galleries and exhibits, (3) Advertising the exhibitionsthrough educational publications, posters, photographs and a catalogue made to measure up to high standards so 33 to evoke a positive, not a negative, reaction.The exhibition at Thessaloniki3 was the start of an effort which deserves to be continued.

• History and Archaeology

• Αρχαιολογία
• Archaeological museums and collections

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