Getting Down to the Wire

I think I have finally completed my introductory overview and display case labels. It was hard to find a balance between eliminating certain information while keeping other information. Hopefully Bethany will not think it is still too long. This week was a busy week for her so I did not have the chance to show her my edits. I told her that my semester is almost over and that my time is just about up at the museum. I am going to try to work hard to get the small exhibit installed next week. It would be a shame to end the internship without seeing the final result of my project.

Thanks for reading,
Erik

Shopping for Display Cases Again

I took a look at the display cases again. I cannot decide if I want to use one or two. There is one case that all four pieces will fit, but I am worried about the overall look. I did not want the case to appear crammed. I want there to be enough space within the case for people to view the pottery from different angles. As I stated earlier, I would like to display the pieces by artistic style. The two bichromes can easily fit into one case, but the large white painted amphora would look amazing in a case alone. What would I do with the other white painted pottery? I am not going to have three cases. I think there is a large enough case that can accommodate both white painted pieces and that the large amphora would look great in. I also looked for a spot in the gallery where the cases could go. There are a couple spaces that would work but I need to speak with Bethany to get her opinion.

Thanks for reading,
Erik

Slow and Steady...

The following week was a slow week. I attempted to find a way to shorten the introductory overview without making it too light. Bethany wanted me to mention the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 since it continues to be a controversial issue. The trick was to avoid sounding bias yet remain truthful. I needed to connect how the invasion affected Cypriot archaeology. When Turkey invaded in 1974 all archaeology activity on the island ceased. Excavation sites, museums, monuments and churches were neglected and vandalized. Many artifacts were illegally imported from the island. Since then, the Department of Antiquities in Cyprus currently keeps an eye the international trade of Cypriot objects. The department repatriates, or attempts to repatriate, stolen lost artifacts. Unfortunately, this is a common problem in the antiquities trade. Since many objects were taken out of their countries of origin illicitly decades ago, museums who bought the artifacts do not have proper provenance. Hopefully next week I will finish my editing.

Thanks for reading,
Erik

Expanding and Editing

This past week I submitted my ideas on the display label cases to Bethany. She liked my progress and requested that I expand my work. For instance, the introduction to the Cyprus pottery includes a general historical overview of Cyprus and the island’s cultural diversity. Cyprus was a crossroads of ancient civilizations; the material culture produced on the island reflects a variety and amalgamation of local and foreign techniques. The overview also includes a brief introduction to Cypriot pottery, in particular Iron Age pottery. Bethany would also like me to create a type of timeline mapping out the stages of Cypriot pottery- a mini typology of Cypriot pottery. She thinks it would be a good idea if people had an educational visual reference to the vessels that will be on display. True, not everyone knows what an amphora, krater, oinochoe and kylix looks like. Below is an example of the type of diagram I might use. The main difficulty I have experience in incorporating Bethany’s suggestions is information overload. Visitors do not always want to spend a lot of time reading masses amount of information on artifacts and exhibitions. The goal is to quickly attract visitors and gain their interests. Pertinent information ought to be included but a cultural and historical overview needs to be limited. So far I have edited my original work but the length is the same since Bethany’s assessment. I will see if I can cut it down further without completely rewriting the introduction.

Thanks for reading,

Erik

How to Keep a Visitor's Attention

      This week I dabbled at creating labels for the display cases. Display labels are designed to be informative and easy to read. The first two sentences should catch the attention of readers and entice visitors to continuing reading about the artifacts. It is harder than it sounds, and I have experienced some creative difficulties. I guess I am so accustomed to academics that I find writing for a diverse age group a bit challenging. Display labels are cleverly written in a manner in which middle grade school students can understand the information just as much as scholars. The information should not be convoluted or intellectually cumbersome. Moreover, labels should complement the overall theme of an exhibit. Indeed, they enlighten visitors of the art historical, social and culture relevance of artifacts. In addition, labels facilitate the direction or flow of information of an exhibition. The pieces and their educational significance ought to take people on a type of social and cultural journey. Hopefully I can create a couple of interesting and stirring labels for the Cyprus pottery.

Erik   

How Many Ceramics Can Fit in a Display Case?

       This week I finally had the opportunity to examine the four pottery pieces. I had to measure the base, width and diameter for each to determine which display cases will be suitable. The Collections Manager, Chris Helms, had to open the shipping carton and hold the antiquities since museum policy prohibits volunteers and interns to handle ancient pottery. Chris admitted that it was his first time viewing the pieces as well. Each is in great condition; from what I can tell they were preserved very well since I did not see signs of extensive repairs. The majority of the pottery was smaller than I thought save for one amphora. Unfortunately I do not know the measurements off the top of my head, but most are no higher than 12”. The large amphora is about 24” in height.

       In addition to measuring the dimensions of the pottery, I also had to find out the measurements of the display cases. The few cases the museum has in storage are perfect in size, but not in condition. Bethany said I can either sand them and paint them black or she would be willing to buy a large one, approx. 38 x 44 x 22”. I suppose it depends how many cases I want to use. Two of the pieces are White Painted ware (the large amphora and the oinochoe) and the other two are Bichrome Ware (the smaller amphora and a jug). I think it would be nice to display the pottery by the typology of wares, thus the large amphora and oinchoe in case and the other amphora and jug in another. There is one display case that is in good condition and I think it would be great for the Bichrome Wares. All the cases are blue, so if I want to use anyone of them I need to sand them and paint them black. There is case that appears to be large enough for both White Painted Wares but I am not sure about the vitrine’s height. I am also undecided if I want to display the White Painted IV Ware amphora by itself. One of the display cases would be perfect for it. That means Bethany would have to purchase a case for the oinchoe. There are two large cases (32 W x 36 D) that would fit all four pieces; both, however, have a few deep notches. If I decide to use one case for all the pottery I would have to figure out what to do with the nicks and gashes. I still am searching around for affordable display cases. Gaylord.com seems to offer a good variety and prices. Below are a couple cases with vitrines I think would be fine.

Erik

Mounts for the Pottery

          The next few stages in my project involve creating mounts for the pottery and selecting proper display cases. For this week I searched the web for easy and inexpensive methods to mount ceramic pottery. When displaying ceramics, especially antiquities, it is important to mount them properly. Vibrations caused by outdoor and indoor movement can cause pottery to ‘walk’ or ‘creep’ causing them to bump into other pieces or fall from the shelf. I found numerous websites that offered various mounting techniques. Mounts that damage artifacts (that scratch, chip, leave residue or alter the current form of the pottery) should always be avoided. The most common materials used in mounts are chamois leather and felt. For instance, sheet of chamois leather can be place under ceramics to prevent movement. Gaylord.com sales self-adhesive felt pieces, which are great for padding mounts wherever they touch artifacts to prevent marking and damage. The site also has self-adhesive suede polyethylene (polysuede), which is thinner than felt but offers more padding and grip. Finally, the National Park Service offers easy instructions on how to construct bottom ring supports for pottery and other round based objects.

           

For next week I need to measure the width of the four pieces to find out how much space is required in the display case(s). Bethany told me that it is my discretion of how many cases I would like to use. Therefore, I also need to evaluate the cases the museum has, and if needed, Bethany will need to purchase one or two.

Ancient Cyprus: Its History & Artisitc Periods Cont...

I think I have finally completed the research on the Cyprus antiquities. In the past week I proof read the four page overview: I wanted to make sure I covered in detail the social and political highlights, as well as pottery production and commercial trade during the Cypriot Bronze and Iron Age. I decided to omit the periods post Cypro-Archaic (750-475 B.C.) since the pottery only dates to up to the point. The following periods are the Hellenistic (325-58 B.C), Roman (58 B.C.-A.D. 330) and Byzantine (A.D. 330-700). I was also I was supposed to find out from the Collections Manager how and why the National Hellenic Museum had the pieces on loan. I will try to take care of that on Wednesday. Hopefully next week my primary focus will be working on display labels for the exhibit.

Regards,

Erik

Ancient Cyprus: Its History & Artistic Periods

Last week was a quiet and productive week. I thought I completed my research on the Cypro-Archaic pottery, but I was mistaken. During the week I had to write a general synopsis of ancient Cyprus: it included the social and political issues from the Middle Cypriot period (2500-1050 B.C.) to the Cypro-Archaic period (1050-325 A.D.). My research also included the art historical significance of the periods, as well as trade relations with other nations. For instance, Cyprus has a rich and diverse culture influenced by the Minoan and Mycenaean civilization, the Syro-Palestinian culture, the Hittites and the Egyptians. For centuries Cyprus traded goods and artistic craftsmanship with such neighbors.

The island was also famous for its cooper supply. By the Late Cypriot period (1650-1050) Cyprus was fully integrated into an exchange network connecting the Aegean, Egypt and Syria-Palestine. Sustained by wealth generated through the export of copper and the island's convenient juxtaposition between the Near East and Aegean, cities on Cyprus flourished. Cypriot potters were also artisans who exercised considerable imagination in their craft. Their wares were always interesting and often exuberant, even sometimes outlandish. Since pottery was produced in small batches by individuals or families rather than by factories, idiosyncrasy rather than uniformity was the rule. Pottery was also discernibly regionalized, varying from place to place on the island. This makes the Bronze Age pottery of Cyprus among the most diverse found anywhere in the ancient world.

I also need to include in my research how and why the National Hellenic Museum acquired on loan their antiquities from Cyprus. I know that the museum received the pottery on loan from the Cyprus government in 2001. There is a lot of paperwork I need to go through to understand why the loan was approved. I also plan on talking with the Collections Manager Chris. Perhaps he can shed some light on the matter.

Regards,

Erik

Reference:

The Censola Collection from Ancient Cyprus

http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~semitic/Cesnola/testhomepage.html

Research is done...

          I have finally finished research on the Cypro-Archaic pottery. Oddly enough, this past week I actually found the research less challenging than the week prior. I think I was making it more difficult than it needs to be. Two of the pieces were amphorae, one was a large globular shaped jar and the other was an oinochoe (wine jug).  Each is indeed categorized as Cypro-Archaic I (750-600 B.C.) pottery. One of the best resources I used in my research was the Cesnola Collection at the Semitic Museum at Harvard University. The typology for the vessels was either White Painted IV “Free-field Style” or Bichrome IV. For the complete typology and chronology of Cyprus pottery please visit the Cesnola Collection website:

http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~semitic/Cesnola/MatWaresIAGjerstad.html

            According to the Museum curator, Bethany Fleming, two or three of the pottery will go on display. Next week I need to meet with her about exhibit design and the vignettes. In my opinion I think one of the amphorae and oinochoe should be displayed. The pottery in the photographs are not in the National Hellenic Museum’s collection. They are just examples of what the amphora and the oinochoe that are in the NHM’s collection. The amphora in the photo is very similar to one of NHM’s pieces. I think it would do very well on display. The oinochoe looks a bit different than the one in the photo:  it is painted reddish brown and the neck is longer. Most oinochoe, if not all, however, do have the trefoil mouth. The one in the National Hellenic Museum also has this common mouth shape. It will be interested to see which pottery Bethany chooses.

Stay tuned for next week to find out…

Kind Regards,

Erik

                                Cypro-Archaic I Amphora Bichrome IV Ware (750-600 B.C.)

                         Cypro-Archaic IV Oinochoe White Painted IV Ware (750-600 B.C.)

                                                         

Beginning the vignettes' research

Most of the older artifacts in the National Hellenic Museum’s permanent and temporary collection date to the late 1800’s. It also has a few pieces of antiquity (amphorae, jugs and coins), which are either owned or on loan. One of the prevailing requests made by visitors was for the museum to display these antiquities more often. The NHM has listened, and in a few months the museum will put more ancient pieces on exhibition.

This week I completed the first stage of my project- a review on all the antiquities the museum currently has. I created an excel document listing all the ancient pieces. Included was the accession or loan number of each artifact, the provenance source from where the museum acquired the pieces and the storage locations where the pieces are kept. For the second stage of the project, I need to create individual vignettes for a few Cypro-Archaic I pottery. There are a few amphorae and oinochoe I have started researching. According to PastPerfect (the museum archival database), the Cyprus pottery dates to the Cypro-Archaic I period, 700-650 B.C., but I am unsure of the artistic stylization of a couple pieces. Hopefully with more research I will either be satisfied with the information the museum currently has or will need to make a few small corrections.

Thanks for following! Stay tuned for next week’s blog

Kind Regards,

Erik

The journey begins...

Hi, I am Erik Saxon. Currently, I am an undergraduate senior at Loyola University Chicago. My major is Classical Studies. My academic and career focus is in Classical archaeology. In the summer of 2011 I participated as a student volunteer for the Agora Excavation's 2011 season in Athens, Greece. While in Greece, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit many world renowned museums. It was during this time that I realized how beneficial it would be to gain working and educational experience in a museum through an internship.

I was particularly interested in the National Hellenic Museum because it exposes students to the daily operations of a mid-size museum. As an intern I will focus on collections and provenance research and exhibition development for the purpose of creating and engaging visitor experiences through exhibitions and public programming, specifically in subject areas related to Bronze Age Greece to the Classical period.

Thanks for visiting and stay tuned for more blogs to follow!

Kind Regards,
Erik