Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien

almost 700 Cypriot objects in the Antikensammlung (vases, limestone sculpture, terracottas, lamps, glass, bronzes, Early Bronze Age to Roman imperial), described in the 1999 catalogue as among the most important of their kind in Central Europe; the catalogue itself presents a selection of 103 objects plus 10 coins from the Münzkabinett (1999)

Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 43Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999

1. 1798
   The k. k. Münz- und Antikenkabinett, the ancestor of the Antikensammlung, was founded (date as given by the 1999 catalogue).

   Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 41

2. 1803
   Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall presented the honorific inscription for Ptolemy Eupator (cat. 2, KHM III 7) which he had found at Old Paphos in 1800 and sent from Constantinople.

   PalaepaphosJoseph von Hammer-PurgstallBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 41-43

3. 1805
   The Court Library transferred the Fugger Amazon sarcophagus (cat. 1, I 169) to the Cabinet; its origin was then unknown. Archival research later showed it was found at Soloi in 1557 by Hieronimo Attar, taken to Venice in 1558, owned by Hans Fugger from 1567/8, and sold in the 17th century (probably to Ferdinand II) to the imperial house.

   SoloiHieronimo AttarEmperor Ferdinand IIBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 41Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 43

4. 1857
   First small purchase of Cypriot antiquities: 24 small limestone sculptures and one clay figure from the Mechitarist Father Dovnik for 80 florins (acquisitions journal, first quarter).

   Pater Dovnik (Mechitarist)Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 43

5. 19 November 1869
   Emperor Franz Joseph I approved director Joseph Bergmann's application to buy a selection of Cesnola's antiquities for 1,000 florins, following a tip from Friederichs of the Berlin museum. The 155 pieces (87 vases, 10 limestone sculptures, 22 terracotta statuettes, 9 bronzes, 5 lamps, gold jewellery and seals; 'Cyprian Antiquities from the Graves of Idalium') arrived on 16 February 1870 and became the foundation of the Vienna Cypriot collection.

   IdalionLuigi Palma di CesnolaJoseph BergmannEmperor Franz Joseph IKarl (Carl) FriederichsBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 43-44Masson 1996

6. 1871–1872
   Rear Admiral Millosich, cruising on the frigate Habsburg in June 1871, bought from R. H. Lang at Larnaca the colossal limestone votive statue from Pyla (found by Lang in 1868; cat. 76, I 341) for 120 florins and removed it to his ship; the Cabinet bought it from him on 12 January 1872.

   LarnacaGeorg Freiherr von MillosiczRobert Hamilton LangEduard von SackenBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 44-47

7. 1873–1883
   Diplomat Emanuel Graf Ludolf supplied 46 Cypriot objects in all between 1873 and 1883, as a sale to the Austrian Museum for Art and Industry and as a gift to the imperial Antikensammlung (gifts of 1879 and 1883).

   Emanuel Graf von LudolfBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 47

8. 1875
   Heinrich Brugsch sold two limestone votive figures of women (I 357, I 358).

   Heinrich BrugschBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999Wien

9. 1884
   Max Ohnefalsch-Richter, acting for a Paris dealer, offered the marble 'Artemis of Larnaca' (cat. 3, I 603; found at Kition in 1880, first taken to Paris for sale to the Louvre) on 27 July; the Cabinet bought it on 29 October for 6,500 francs (about 3,000 florins), of which Ohnefalsch-Richter received 600 francs as commission. On the same visit he sold six antiquities to the Cabinet and 57 duplicates, mainly Bronze Age vases from Ayia Paraskevi, to the Natural History Museum.

   Kition (Larnaca)Max Ohnefalsch-RichterBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 47-48

10. 1884–1895
    Ohnefalsch-Richter's sales and exchanges brought 176 objects to the Vienna collections between 1884 and 1895: in 1890 ten antiquities exchanged for Millosicz duplicates and 54 finds to the Natural History Museum and 5 to the Museum for Art and Industry; in 1895 a last consignment from Nicosia including the Idalion column capital found in 1894 (cat. 103).

    Max Ohnefalsch-RichterBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 41Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 47-48Masson & Hermary 1988, p. 9, n. 39

11. 1889
    Carl Goebel's watercolour shows the 'Cyprian Room' in the Lower Belvedere, with Cesnola pieces and the Pyla statue, shortly before the imperial collections moved to the new Hofmuseum on the Ring.

    Carl GoebelBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 40

12. 20 October 1890
    Franz Joseph I approved purchase of the estate of Georg von Millosicz (1,094 coins and 250 archaeological pieces) from his minor daughter and heir Hermine for 8,000 florins; this brought almost 100 Cypriot objects (about 50 vases, 31 terracotta statuettes, small limestone sculptures), probably bought at Dhali, Larnaca and Famagusta in June 1871.

    Georg Freiherr von MillosiczHermine von MillosiczEmperor Franz Joseph IBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 43

13. 1896–1901
    Bequest of James Camille Samson, including a Cypro-Archaic limestone altar model (I 770); the museum's online record gives 1896.

    James Camille SamsonBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 208Wien

14. 1905
    Through Arthur Evans, director of the Ashmolean, a series of 25 votive terracotta statuettes from J. L. Myres's 1894 Kamelarga (Kition) votive deposit arrived as a gift; reported to the Oberstkämmereramt by Robert von Schneider on 17 October 1905.

    KamelargaSir Arthur John EvansJohn Linton MyresRobert von SchneiderBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 44-45

15. 1936
    Limestone seated goddess statue (I 1548), ex Prokesch-Osten, acquired from Leopold Popper von Podhragy; the catalogue does not specify sale or gift.

    Leopold Popper von PodhragyAnton Prokesch von OstenBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 194

16. 1937
    Robert Wadler gave a Bichrome V juglet (IV 3258).

    Robert WadlerBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999Wien

17. 1940
    The Cypriot holdings of the Austrian Museum for Art and Industry (now MAK) were taken over by the Antikensammlung.

    Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 41

18. 1951
    Consul Zenon D. Pierides gave 34 Cypriot objects (24 vases, 3 terracotta statuettes, 3 clay lamps, 2 glass vessels) 'to the art-loving population of Austria'; the last addition to the collection described.

    Zeno D. PieridesBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 44Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 45

19. 1958–1982
    Cypriot holdings of the Prehistoric Collection of the Natural History Museum (including Ohnefalsch-Richter and Schulz material) were transferred to the Antikensammlung in 1958 and 1982.

    Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 41

20. 1984
    A. Bernhard-Walcher's Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum fascicle (CVA Wien 4) on the Bronze Age pottery appeared.

    Alfred Bernhard-WalcherBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999Karageorghis 1998, p. 119

21. 1999
    Publication of 'Die Sammlung zyprischer Antiken im Kunsthistorischen Museum' (ed. W. Seipel; Bernhard-Walcher, Dembski, Gschwantler, Karageorghis), with new restoration of pottery, terracottas and limestone heads and new photographs.

    Wilfried SeipelAlfred Bernhard-WalcherGünther DembskiKurt GschwantlerVassos KarageorghisAngelika KathreinRegula KünzliViktor FreibergerHans KräftnerBernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 9-11

• Fugger Amazon sarcophagus from Soloi, Greek marble, 2nd half 4th c. BC

  I 169from Soloi1805Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 41Fleischer 1998, p. 7-54

• Honorary inscription for Ptolemy Eupator, Old Paphos

  III 7from Old Paphos (Kouklia)via Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall1803Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, cat. 2

• Marble statuette, the 'Artemis of Larnaca', Hellenistic

  I 603from Larnaca (Kition), 1880via Max Ohnefalsch-Richter1884Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, cat. 3

• Colossal limestone votive statue of a bearded man, H. 201 cm, Cypro-Archaic II

  I 341from Pyla sanctuaryvia Georg Freiherr von Millosicz1872Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, cat. 76

• Limestone votive statue of a woman with kantharos, H. 86 cm

  I 357from Cyprusvia Heinrich Brugsch1875Wien

• Idalion Hathoric capital

  I 717from Idalionvia Max Ohnefalsch-Richter1895Masson & Hermary 1988, p. 9Wien

• Seated goddess (Astarte?), limestone, H. 81 cm

  I 1548from Cyprusvia Leopold Popper von Podhragy1936Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, p. 194Wien

• Terracotta Kamelarga votive statuettes, 25 in the gift (tambourine players among them)

  V 1987, V 1989, V 2004, V 2006, V 2010 (series)from Kamelarga, Kitionvia Sir Arthur John Evans1905Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, cat. 60-64

• Bichrome V juglet

  IV 3258via Robert Wadler1937Bernhard-Walcher et al. 1999, cat. 41

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