site.bta Louvre to Host Most Impressive Exhibition Ever of Thracian Culture from Bulgaria

Louvre to Host Most Impressive Exhibition Ever of Thracian Culture from Bulgaria

Sofia, December 10 (BTA) - Four halls at the Louvre are to host
1,628 items from 17 Bulgarian museums, the Culture Ministry
said. Dedicated to Thracian culture, an exhibition titled the
"Epopee of Thracian
Kings: Archaeological Finds in Bulgaria" will be on display from
April 15 to July 20, 2015 in the Richelieu Wing of the Louvre.

Three French and two Bulgarian curators have woorked on the
concept of the exhibition and selected the items. On the
Bulgarian side, these are Prof. Totko Stoyanov of the
Archaeology Department at the St Kliment Ohridski University of
Sofia and Assoc. Prof. Milena Tonkova, who heads the Department
of Thracian Archaeology at the National Archaeological Institute
and Museum with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The French
side is represented by Louvre President-Director Jean-Luc
Martinez and the specialists from the museum's Department of
Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquity Alexandre Baralis and
Neguine Mathieux.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture and the Louvre are about to
sign a final agreement on the holding of the exhibition.

The National Archaeological Institute and Museum, the National
Museum of History, the Regional Archaeological Museum in Plovdiv
and the History Museum in Kazanluk will supply the
largest number of items from their collections. The regional
museums of Vratsa, Varna, Rousse, Lovech and Bourgas, and the
municipal museums of Septemvri, Nessebur and Sozopol will send
some remarkable exhibits. Individual items will come from the
museums of Shoumen, Isperih, Karnobat, Haskovo and Strelcha.

The exhibition will focus on the Odrysian Kingdom. The full
inventory of the rich burials of Thracian aristocrats from the
necropolises at Duvanli, Kaloyanovo-Chernozem and
Malomirovo-Slatinitsa will be presented for the first time.
These are an illustration of the formation of the Odrysian
Kingdom, the economic might of its rulers from the 5th century
to the first decades of the 3rd century B.C.

Unlike the previous Thracian exhibitions, which included mainly
objects made of precious metals, this one will feature the
complete burial complexes for the first time. The intention is
to demonstrate all elements of Thracian burial customs:
insignia, metal and clay dining sets, weapons, decoration of
equine harnessing, jewelry and accessories, and even small clay
objects intended for magical use.

The royal burial from the Golyamata Kosmatka mound near Shipka,
which is considered the grave of Seuthes III, will be central to
the exhibition. The king's bronze head, a unique masterpiece of
ancient sculpture, is the most important item in the
forthcoming exhibition. His shinguards, the marvelous gold
crown, the sword and sheath richly inlaid with gold, a golden
goblet, silver and bronze jugs, amphorae for wine, the golden
applications from equine harnessing, threads from a carpet woven
with gold thread, a fine shell-formed pyx of gilded silver, and
other remarkable items will be laid out next to it.

Parts of the architecture and decoration of the Strelcha and
Muglish tombs, as well as photos of the Kazanluk tomb, will
complete the picture of the various forms of Odrysian
aristocracy tombs.

A focus on urban culture will be another first.

The Panagyurishte Gold Treasure will shine in the centre of the
fourth hall.

A richly illustrated catalogue which will be published by the
Louvre is being prepared for visitors.

Two reciprocal exhibitions presenting items from the Louvre have
been planned to be hosted by Bulgaria while the Thracian
exhibition is in Paris.