Kykladitisses: Untold stories of women in the Cyclades
Voidokilia Beach: A Hidden Paradise in the Peloponnese
© Paris Tavitian. Museum of Cycladic Art. Marble colossal statue of a kore from Thera, 600-575 BC (?)
A Historic Collection from Across the Cyclades
The exhibition brings together 180 rare artifacts from nearly every Cycladic island, including Amorgos, Andros, Delos, Thira, Ios, Kea, Kythnos, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Serifos, Sikinos, Sifnos, Syros, Tinos, and Folegandros. Spanning from prehistoric times to the birth of the Greek state, many of these works have never left their home islands or the Museum of Cycladic Art—some are being revealed to the public for the very first time.
Alongside the renowned marble figurines of the Early Cycladic period, the exhibition features 135 additional pieces from the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades, as well as important objects from the Kanellopoulos Museum, the Epigraphic Museum of Athens, the Ephorate of Paleoanthropology and Speleology, and notable private collections.
Unveiling Women's Roles in Cycladic Society
Through material evidence from the Cycladic past, the exhibition delves into the roles, identities, and societal positions of women in these insular communities. Their stories emerge through inscriptions, sculptures, personal artifacts, and historical texts, yet often filtered through the perspectives of men from their respective eras. The exhibition explores how women’s roles—whether as deities, mothers, priestesses, courtesans, merchants, fighters, intellectuals, mourners, witches, or immigrants—were shaped by their social standing and dependence on male-dominated structures.
Visitors will gain insight into both public and private aspects of Cycladic women’s lives, spanning political, religious, social, and familial spheres. Across twelve thematic sections, the exhibition examines topics such as eroticism, death and mourning, religious participation, Dionysian rituals, societal restrictions, and experiences of violence.
Highlights of the Exhibition
The collection includes a variety of statuettes, large-scale sculptures, vases, jewelry, coins, funerary stelae, legal inscriptions, frescoes, mosaics, engravings, manuscripts, and icons spanning from prehistoric to post-Byzantine times. Among these, three exceptional pieces stand out for their uniqueness and scale:
- The colossal Kore of Thira (2.48m tall): One of the few surviving Archaic statues, exhibited for the first time in Greece.
- The Akrotiri Fresco – ‘Women in the Sanctuary’ (almost 4m long): A monumental piece from Santorini, depicting female figures in a sacred setting.
- The Hellenistic statue of Artemis Elaphebolos from Delos: On display for the first time outside the island.
Twelve Sections of the Exhibition
- Juggling Between Genders
- The Origin of the World
- Goddesses of the Islands
- Female Apotropaic Figures
- In the Sanctuaries
- Goddesses of the Sea
- Female Identities
- From the Oikoumene to the Archipelago
- Eroticism
- Violence
- Death Through Their Own Eyes
- Faces
Part of the "Human Histories" Series
- This exhibition is the second installment in the Museum of Cycladic Art’s “Human Histories” series, which explores the lives, customs, and traditions of past civilizations and their lasting influence on contemporary thought and culture. By shedding light on the often-overlooked stories of Cycladic women, this exhibition offers a fresh perspective on history, challenging established narratives and enriching our understanding of the ancient world.
