Pierides Museum

2,236 objects inventoried in June 1972 (per Karageorghis 1973 as cited by Hardy); about 4,000 in 2008 (Leriou, as cited by Hardy), of which about 800 were added between June 1974 and 2008; tourism sources say about 2,500. Spans the Chalcolithic to the medieval period. (2008)

Hardy 2014

1. 1839
   Demetrios Pierides (1811-1895) began the collection on returning to Cyprus; the 1985 catalogue dates the beginning to 1839.

   LarnacaDemetrios PieridesKarageorghis et al. 1985, p. 18

2. 10 February 1873
   A Pierides lot of Cypriot glass, jewellery and terracottas was sold at the Hotel Drouot, Paris.

   ParisDemetrios PieridesMerrillees 2017

3. 1895
   On Demetrios's death the collection was divided between his sons Zeno (1839-1911) and Giabra (1852-1928). Zeno's branch is the Larnaca collection; Giabra's, with the Mycenaean vases, is the Nicosia Giabra Pierides collection.

   LarnacaZeno D. PieridesDjabra (Gabriel) PieridesKarageorghis 1973, p. 14Matoian 2004

4. 1927–1931
   Luke (Loukis) Z. Pierides is credited by Frankel with bringing Einar Gjerstad to Cyprus before the Swedish Cyprus Expedition; he had added Chalcolithic idols and Cypro-Archaic free-field jugs to the collection.

   Luke Zenon PieridesFrankel 2006Karageorghis 1973, p. 14

5. 1963–1973
   Demetrios Z. Pierides bought heavily, 'in consultation with the Department of Antiquities', and repatriated illicitly exported Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age pieces (Karageorghis 1985). Hardy reads this as part of a state policy of 'silent accord' allowing Greek Cypriots to buy antiquities looted by Turkish Cypriots, and counts about 964 objects added between June 1972 and June 1974; Hardy's inference from find-spots is his own analysis.

   LarnacaDemetrios Zeno PieridesVassos KarageorghisKarageorghis et al. 1985, p. 14Hardy 2014

6. June 1974
   Demetrios Z. Pierides established the Pierides Foundation and gave it the collection, intending to endow it to enlarge the collection with the Department of Antiquities. The English text of the 1985 catalogue says June 1974; the Greek text says 1973. After the 1974 invasion he financed excavations, lectures, symposia and publications; his mother Theodora Z. Pierides guarded the collection.

   LarnacaDemetrios Zeno PieridesMrs Theodora Z. PieridesKarageorghis et al. 1985, p. 18Karageorghis et al. 1985, p. 14

7. 1976
   Jean des Gagniers and Karageorghis published Vases et figurines de l'age du bronze a Chypre, covering the Foundation's collection (Astrom's review notes it).

   Jean des GagniersVassos KarageorghisÅström 1981, p. 193

8. 1985
   Ancient Cypriote Art in the Pierides Foundation Museum, by Karageorghis, Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou, Papanikola-Bakirtzis and Elliott, published by the Foundation; Karageorghis signs as Director of the Department of Antiquities and Vice-Chairman of the Foundation.

   LarnacaVassos KarageorghisEuphrosyne Rizopoulou-EgoumenidouDemetra Papanikola-BakirtziCarolyn ElliottAristeidis KoudounarisKarageorghis et al. 1985, p. 15

9. 1993
   Therese Oziol published the Foundation's lamps.

   Thérèse OziolChilds et al. 2012, p. 168

10. June 2013
    The Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation took over management of the museum when Laiki Bank's cultural operations were absorbed, under a Trust between the Bank and the Pierides Foundation.

    Demetrios Zeno PieridesPeter Ashdjian

• Red Polished III frieze bowl with modelled women, infants and animals, cat. 37 (= Pierides 1973 no. 8)

  cat. 37from Margi

• Limestone kouros, 27 cm, from a looted sanctuary near Mandres

  cat. 228from MandresKarageorghis 1971

• Bichrome IV jug with striding warrior (possibly Reshef), published BCH 87 (1963)

  Pierides 1973 no. 39

• Red Polished plank figures, including double-headed examples

• Large hollow Chalcolithic terracotta seated nude male on a stool, 36 cm

  cat. 7

• An Enduring Form: The Cruciform Figures of Chalcolithic CyprusArticle
• Cypriot Pottery Replicas and Fakes: Is My Piece Real?Article
• Returning or Donating Cypriot Antiquities: How It WorksArticle
• The Two Lives of an Antiquity: Understanding Provenance and ProvenienceArticle
• AchnaSite
• Collecting Cypriot Antiquities Today: Law, Provenance and Due DiligenceCompendium
• StrainersCompendium
• Bichrome IV Amphora with a Lotus-and-Bud Shoulder FriezeObject
• Bichrome Tripod Bowl with Painted BandsObject
• White Painted Double Bowl with Tall Loop HandleObject