athens-archaeological-museum:Attic red-figure krater depicting a scene from a symposium. By the Up
athens-archaeological-museum: Attic red-figure krater depicting a scene from a symposium. By the Uppsala painter. Unknown origin (ca 400-375 B.C) “Unknown origin”, a quite common sight on the information tags of “old” museums reveals the rather dark but known origins of archaeology. Illegal excavations, illicit trade, privately funded acquisition of antiquities all might have helped kindle a global love for ancient material but did so by setting fire on the very origins of these objects both literally and figuratively. Old museums like the National Archaeological Museum of Athens (late 19nth century) became the steady recipients of private collections whose unchecked acquisition of antiquities produced no records on the origins and other crucial details of these objects of both art and history. -- source link