between layers – worlds within agate
Location : Staatliche Antikensammlungen
Current Exhibitions Archive Exhibitions

Modern craftwork and ancient gemstones in the treasury of the State Collections of Antiquities.

The worlds within the agate, its unusual layered structure and variety of colours, have fascinated man for thousands of years. Since its discovery, the abstract beauty of agate has inspired countless artists to create objects as well as jewellery from it. Its special layered structure allows the creation of gems since ancient times.

The aim of the "mineralART 2014" competition therefore, is to reset the focus on the uniqueness of agate and to find contemporary ways of working and artistically interpreting it.

The competition winners and other outstanding pieces will
be displayed in the State Collections of Antiquities.

News

Annual programme

You can find the 2025 annual programme →here.

Glypto-Freunde

The support association of the State Colections of Antiquities and the Glyptothek offers a rich programme for members and interested parties, which can be explored at https://www.glyptofreunde.de/.

For more information, please feel free to contact the office at 089-28 78 81 82.

Special exhibitions

Upcoming events

AS_Führungen.jpg4 Objekte – 4 Jahrhunderte
07.05.2025, 18:00 - 19:00
GL_Führungen.jpgDas griechische Bürgertum
08.05.2025, 18:00 - 19:00
GL_Führungen.jpgOctavian/Augustus und die Folgen
15.05.2025, 18:00 - 19:00

Show more events

Apollo of Tenea

Funerary monument of a young man found nearby Corinth, 570/60 B.C.

Image Funerary monument of a young man found nearby Corinth, 570/60 B.C.

Dionysos-cup by Exekias

The god of wine in a sailing ship, vines are winding around the mast. Drinking cup from Athens, 540/30 B.C.

Image The god of wine in a sailing ship, vines are winding around the mast. Drinking cup from Athens, 540/30 B.C.

Boy with a goose

Roman copy of a Greek work in bronze. It depicts a small boy wrestling with a goose, around 220 B.C.

Image Roman copy of a Greek work in bronze. It depicts a small boy wrestling with a goose, around 220 B.C.

Bronze head of a boy

Eyeballs of silver and pupils of red garnet are lost. Roman bronze after a Classical Greek model around 450 B.C.

Image Eyeballs of silver and pupils of red garnet are lost. Roman bronze after a Classical Greek model around 450 B.C.

Golden wreath from Armento

The winner of a contest once received this wreath made of gold foil and enamel as a price, 325–300 B.C.

Image The winner of a contest once received this wreath made of gold foil and enamel as a price, 325–300 B.C.

Medusa Rondanini

Gorgo Medusa is one of the most horrible creatures of Greek myth. Looking at her turned every mortal into stone. Marble copy dating from the Roman period of Medusa’s head on the shield of the statue of Athena in the Parthenon around 440 B.C.

Image Gorgo Medusa is one of the most horrible creatures of Greek myth. Looking at her turned every mortal into stone. Marble copy dating from the Roman period of Medusa’s head on the shield of the statue of Athena in the Parthenon around 440 B.C.

Barberini Faun

The tall drunken satyr, a male nature spirit with ears and a tail of a horse, was probably set up outside in a sanctuary of Dionysos. It is one of the major works of Hellenistic sculpture, around 220 B.C.

Image The tall drunken satyr, a male nature spirit with ears and a tail of a horse, was probably set up outside in a sanctuary of Dionysos. It is one of the major works of Hellenistic sculpture, around 220 B.C.

Girl from Beroea

Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and love, has got out of the bath and perhaps held a mirror in her hand in which she looks at herself. Bronze statuette, 120–100 B.C.

Image Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and love, has got out of the bath and perhaps held a mirror in her hand in which she looks at herself. Bronze statuette, 120–100 B.C.

The Beauty

There is hardly any clay figurine where the original painting is similarly well preserved. From Athens, 300–275 B.C.

Image There is hardly any clay figurine where the original painting is similarly well preserved. From Athens, 300–275 B.C.

Portrait from the desert sands

The mummy portrait from the Faiyum oasis shows a upper-class young man from Roman Egypt. Wax-tempera on wood, around 140 A.D.

Image The mummy portrait from the Faiyum oasis shows a upper-class young man from Roman Egypt. Wax-tempera on wood, around 140 A.D.

Diomedes

The hero held in his left hand the cult statue of the Trojan Athena and in his right hand a sword. Roman copy of a work by Cresilas around 440 B.C.

Image The hero held in his left hand the cult statue of the Trojan Athena and in his right hand a sword. Roman copy of a work by Cresilas around 440 B.C.

Athena

Statue of the goddess of wisdom and war from the west pediment of the temple of Aphaia at Aegina, around 500 B.C.

Image Statue of the goddess of wisdom and war from the west pediment of the temple of Aphaia at Aegina, around 500 B.C.

Cage Cup

This precious Roman drinking cup, which is surrounded by a net bowl, comes from Cologne, 300–350 A.D.

Image This precious Roman drinking cup, which is surrounded by a net bowl, comes from Cologne, 300–350 A.D.

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