The Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation participates in a unique exhibition on Cypriot archaeology at the Rijksmuseum Van Oudheden in the Netherlands

The Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation is participating with 10 figurines and two statuettes in the exhibition 'Cyprus: a dynamic island' hosted at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden in the Netherlands.

Dedicated to Cypriot archaeology, the landmark exhibition features some 400 objects showcasing the cultural dynamics and distinct techniques found in Cyprus' ancient material culture.

The limestone statuettes known as 'Hercules’ and ‘a draped youth seated on a stool’, and the terracotta figures depicting a group of female dancers, from the George and Nefeli Giapra PIerides Collection (donated by Clio and Solon Triantafyllides) of the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, were selected by the Department of Antiquities to feature in the exhibition, helping complete the narrative.

Visitors will have the opportunity to take a journey through the history of Cyprus, from the Neolithic Age up to the early Byzantine period, in a serene and abstract landscape focusing on the material culture of Cyprus and the island's status as a cultural crossroad in the eastern and southern Mediterranean. The exhibition runs through the archaeological excavations undertaken in Cyprus since the 19th century, also addressing the illicit trading in Cypriot archaeological artifacts.

The unique exhibition is hosted at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, the National Museum of Antiquities of the Netherlands. It is being organised in partnership with the Department of Antiquities in Cyprus, and with the support of: the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation; the AG Leventis Foundation; the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in the Netherlands; the Cyprus Ministry of Tourism; the Press and Information Office, Republic of Cyprus; the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund; Labrys Reizen; the Cultural Heritage Agency (Ministry of Education, Culture and Science); and the Society of Corporate Friends of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden.

The objects on display are provided from various collections, chiefly from the Department of Antiquities in Cyprus, the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, as well as Stockholm's Medelhavsmuseet and the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam.

The exhibition will run from 11 October 2019 to 15 March 2020.

Location: Rijksmuseum Van Oudheden, Rapenburg 28, 2311 EW Leiden, The Netherlands/ www.rmo.nl