July–December 1935

9 Plutaroh Street, Athens,

31 July 1935Dear Mr.Jayne,

I have been much pleased to learn from a letter ØÍrom Jotham Johnson and from conversation with Virginia Grace that the Museum has been able to make a small grant to her for work this autumn photographing and studying those of our finds of 1931 at Lapithos that remain in Cyprus.

It was of course expected that the large quantity of pottery belonging to the University Museum but not shipped to Philadelphia in 1932 would be found as we left it then, stored in the Cyprus Museum, and almost as accessible for study and photographing as the objects retained by the Cyprus Museum in the division of 1932. The question of ultimate disposal of the University Museum's share would then have needed to be answered only after the completion of Miss Grace's work.

This question has, however, become urgent because of the fact that our Lapithos pottery has all been shipped from Nicosia to Episkopi, where it is now stored in 40 packing-cases. (By an unfortunate oversight the shipment was made without consultation with us, I supposing meanwhile that the arrangement made last summer for storage in a new annex of the Museum was still valid. -- The annex was in fact not built at all.) Episkopi is not so good a place for work on the Lapithos pottery as Nicosia because it is 64 miles away from the Cyprus Museum's collections and library; but we can provide a spacious workroom and ample shelving in Episkopi and I think that Miss Grace's work can be done satisfactorily there. It should, however, in my opinion, not be done there if the vases are afterwards to be shipped to Philadelphia. For study they have to be unpacked and in many cases re-mended (All were cleaned and mended, as necessary, in 1932; but many of them were then packed only for storage, not for shipment, and it is clear that a good deal of damage has resulted from the transportation to Episkopi.). Then if they go to Philadelphia there will have to be a second re-mending in many cases, however carefully the packing for shipment is done.

If you prefer not to take this pottery at the University Museum we will, after the completion of Miss Grace's work on it, turn it over to the Cyprus Department of Antiquities; unless you wish to accept a proposal Mr.Blegen makes in behalf of the University of Cincinnati to take the pottery when Miss Grace is through with it, pack it and ship it from Episkopi to Cincinnati, and accept it as the gift of the University Museum's Lapithos Expedition. I should recommend this course rather than returning to the Cyprus authorities any part of the finds awarded to us in 1932.

Miss Grace, who is now here, will settle upon her program of work in Cyprus as soon as we have your decision concerning disposal of the pottery. I should like to have this by cable to "Hill, Plutaroh 9, Athens", as early as possible. A single word will suffice: "Philadelphia" meaning that the pots are to be sent to you; "Episkopi" meaning that she is to work on them in Episkopi and we shall hear later about the ultimate disposal; "Cincinnati" meaning that they are to go to Cincinnati after her work is done; "Cyprus" meaning that we are to return them to the Cyprus authorities after Miss Grace has finished. In all