Ancient CyprusAncient Cyprus

Collector · Draughtsman / artist · Scholar · Donor

Julius Naue

1835–1907 · Germany

Munich painter and prehistorian who bought Cypriot pottery and bronze weapons from Max Ohnefalsch-Richter and published Cypriot weapons; his Cypriot pieces were auctioned in 1908.

Biography

Julius Naue (1835 to 1907), a Munich painter turned private scholar of Bavarian prehistory, drew for Max Ohnefalsch-Richter and bought pottery and bronze weapons from his Cypriot finds1. Ohnefalsch-Richter lists him among the German scholars who published material from his discoveries, and writes that four bronze youth heads found at Idalion in 1883 were for some time in Naue's collection, "to whom I ceded them"2. Marcus Recke writes that Ohnefalsch-Richter tailored private sales to the buyer and, for Naue, who "temporarily drew for him", procured pottery and above all bronze weapons. Naue published an Early Bronze Age tomb group from Psematismenos near Larnaca, with several daggers and a long tanged sword, in his Die vorrömischen Schwerter aus Kupfer, Bronze und Eisen (Munich, 1903)1. Buchholz names purchases of bronze objects by "J. Naue, München" among Ohnefalsch-Richter's German sales dated no later than 18993.

His article on the copper, bronze and iron weapons of Cyprus (The Owl, 1888) is, according to Merrillees, the first to use Thomas Sandwith's paper of 18714. Karlsruhe's Badisches Landesmuseum records a gift from him in 1885, probably acquired from Ohnefalsch-Richter, and the Prähistorische Staatssammlung in Munich holds material from his collection received in 18861.

At his death the collection held about 120 Cypriot objects, with Egyptian, Greek and Italian antiquities, and was sold at Helbing's in Munich on 19 May 19081,7. Pieces from the sale reached Jena (15 pottery pieces), Karlsruhe (two) and, by way of the Munich collector Dehn, Erlangen in 19421.

Life and work

  1. 1883
    Received (ceded by Ohnefalsch-Richter) four bronze youth heads found at Idalion in 1883, intended to hang on a chain; he held them for some time.

    Ohnefalsch-Richter 1893, p. 210

  2. 1885
    Gift of Cypriot objects to the Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe (probably obtained from Ohnefalsch-Richter).

    KarlsruheRecke 2012, p. 110-111

  3. 1886
    The Munich Prahistorische Staatssammlung lists its Cypriot holding (3,214 pottery pieces among others) as coming in 1886 'aus Slg. Julius Naue'; Recke does not say whether by gift, sale or deposit.

    MunichRecke 2012, p. 112

  4. 1888
    Published 'The Copper, Bronze and Iron Weapons of Cyprus' (The Owl, 1888), the first work to use T. B. Sandwith's 1871 paper according to Merrillees; one Cypriot piece illustrated in Naue 1888 is now in Budapest.

    Merrillees 2001, p. 232Csornay-Caprez 2000

  5. 1893
    Ohnefalsch-Richter lists him among German scholars who published materials from his discoveries, and says Naue used communications from him and copper spirals he was allowed to examine to argue that they were currency rings.

    Ohnefalsch-Richter 1893, p. ix, p. 492

  6. 1896–1899
    Buchholz places purchases of bronze objects from Ohnefalsch-Richter by 'J. Naue, Munchen' (and M. Much, Vienna) around the time of Ohnefalsch-Richter's 1896 lecture tour and sale of antiquities, and in any case before 1899.

    MunichBuchholz 1989

  7. 1903
    Published the Psematismenos tomb group in his book Die vorromischen Schwerter aus Kupfer, Bronze und Eisen (Munich 1903).

    MunichRecke 2012, p. 94Myres 1914

  8. 19 May 1908
    Estate auction of the 'Sammlung Prof. Dr. Julius Naue' at Hugo Helbing, Munich. It contained about 120 Cypriot objects plus Egyptian, Greek and Italian antiquities; buyers included the Universities of Jena (15 pottery pieces) and Karlsruhe (2 pottery pieces) and the Munich collector Dehn, whose Cypriot vases went to Erlangen in 1942.

    MunichRecke 2012, p. 95, p. 98, p. 108, p. 110, p. 111

Connections

4 people
Max Ohnefalsch-RichterHugo HelbingDehn (Munich collector)Thomas Backhouse SandwithJulius Naue
Sales & giftsColleagues

Sales, gifts & bequests

Colleagues & contacts

Objects

  • Four bronze youth heads with long hair, intended to hang on a chain, found at Idalion in 1883; later location not stated.

    From Idalion1883Ohnefalsch-Richter 1893, p. 210

  • Early Bronze Age tomb group from Psematismenos near Larnaca: several daggers and a long tanged sword, published in Naue 1903; Recke notes a copy/replica from the 'Grabfund aus Psematismenos' exists among the Berlin museum's replicas.

    From Psematismenosby 1903Recke 2012, p. 94, p. 112

  • Cypriot pottery and bronzes (weapons) obtained from Ohnefalsch-Richter, c. 120 Cypriot objects in all in his collection at death.

    1883–1907Recke 2012, p. 94-95

  • Cypriot pottery and figures in the Prahistorische Staatssammlung Munchen (3,214 pottery pieces listed in total for the Cypriot holding, including later acquisitions).

    Prahistorische Staatssammlung, Munich1886Recke 2012, p. 112

  • Cypriot objects given to the Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe.

    Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe1885Recke 2012, p. 111

  • 15 Cypriot pottery pieces bought at the Helbing Naue sale (one said to come from 'Kosci' north-west of Larnaca), now in the Antikensammlung of the University of Jena.

    Antikensammlung der Universitat Jena1908Recke 2012, p. 108

  • One stone sculpture (on loan from a private owner) and 5 pottery pieces (MC-CA) from the Dehn collection, Munich, which bought them at the Naue sale; given to Erlangen in 1942.

    Antikensammlung der Universitat Erlangen1908Recke 2012, p. 98, p. 110

  • 2 Cypriot pottery pieces from the Helbing Naue sale, now in the Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe.

    Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe1908Recke 2012, p. 111

Sources

  1. 1.Matthias Recke (2012). “Deutschland und das antike Zypern. Beiträge zur Geschichte einer archäologischen Disziplin”. Cahiers du Centre d'Études Chypriotes 42.
  2. 2.Max Ohnefalsch-Richter (1893). Kypros, the Bible and Homer. London, Asher & Co.. Online
  3. 3.H.-G. Buchholz (1989). “Max Ohnefalsch-Richter als Archäologe auf Zypern”. Cahiers du Centre d'Études Chypriotes 11-12, 3-27.
  4. 4.R. S. Merrillees (2001). “T. B. Sandwith and the beginnings of Cypriote archaeology”. Cyprus in the 19th Century AD: Fact, Fancy and Fiction, 222-239. Oxford, Oxbow.
  5. 5.Boldizsár Csornay-Caprez (2000). Cypriote Antiquities. Rome, L'Erma di Bretschneider.
  6. 6.J. L. Myres (1914). Handbook of the Cesnola Collection of Antiquities from Cyprus. New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
  7. 7.Hugo Helbing (1908). Sammlung Prof. Dr. Julius Naue. Auktion Hugo Helbing 19.5.1908, München. Munich, Hugo Helbing.
  8. 8.J. Naue (1888). “Prae-historic and Ethnographic Studies. The Copper Bronze and Iron Weapons of Cyprus”. The Owl.
  9. 9.J. Naue (1903). Die vorrömischen Schwerter aus Kupfer, Bronze und Eisen. Munich.
  10. 10.J. Naue (1897). “Une plaque en or mycénienne découverte à Chypre”. Revue archéologique 31.