The Past in the Present

This publication celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Collection of Classical and Near Eastern Antiquities in the National Museum of Denmark. The Collection traces its roots back to the Royal Kunstkammer founded by King Frederik III around 1650 and to the private archaeological collection of King Christian VIII. On his death the two collections were joined and in 1853 a new one emerged, now named Cabinet of Antiquities, and open to the public -- a collection which over the ensuing 150 years has been constantly enlarged and enriched. In eight articles, various aspects of the history of the collection are tackled -- the authors taking their cues from highlights and humble objects alike: two marble heads from Athens, a mummy from Egypt, and a seemingly insignificant Syrian amulet which, nonetheless, can tell an intriguing tale from the past. We meet a largely forgotten 19th century Danish consul in Tunisia with an eye for antiquities, and accompany Danish archaeologists on expeditions to Hama in Syria and Luristan in Iran. New research in Corinthian pottery is presented and the reader is introduced to the principles employed in establishing the Greek and Roman galleries that were opened in 1994 together with plans for a new Cypriot gallery opened in 2002. The Collection of Classical and Near Eastern Antiquities encompasses not only the story of ancient cultures but is, in its own right, part of the history of Denmark as it unfolds the story of the many relations between Denmark and the Mediterranean countries over the centuries.