Archaeological Museum of Samos


The exhibits are housed in two buildings:

a) The Old Museum, built in 1912 and formerly housing the "Paschaleion archives"

b) The New Museum which was inaugurated in 1987 and contains the Archaic sculpture collection. The building was erected at the expense of the "Volkswagen" cultural foundation.

It contains the following collections:

  1. Archaic Sculpture
  2. Pottery
  3. Bronzes
  4. Ivory objects
  5. Wooden items
  6. Clay figurines
  7. Small objects
The most important items of the exhibition are:

Colossal kouros. It presents Ionic features and its height is almost 5.50m. Dated to the first quarter of 6th century B.C.

Marble statue of a draped female figure. It is the votive offering of Cheramyes to Hera and dates from 570/560 B.C.

Geneleos Group. The group of statues is a votive offering to the Heraion and consists of six figures (five female and one male), one of which (representing Ornithe) is now in Berlin. Dated to 560-540 B.C.

Marble funerary (or votive) relief. It depicts a standing nude youth, who holds a pyxis in his left hand and offers his right hand to a seated female figure, holding a sceptre. It was found at Chora and dates from the 5th century B.C.

Bronze statuette of a horseman (h. 0.20m.) with iinset eyes. Dated to 530-520 B.C. Inv. no. A 1262.

Bronze "breast-plate" of a horse. It depicts Heracles fighting the three-headed dog of Hades. To the left the cattle of Geryones are shown while their shepherd, Euretion, lies dead on the ground. Inv. no. A 775.

Wooden figurine of a nude woman. She is kneeling on a column base and supports a capital on her head (height 0.17m.). Dated to the 7th-6th century B.C. Inv. no. A 2470.

Archaic clay kernos decorated with miniature vases and figurines. Dated to the 7th century B.C. Inv. no. A 1645.

Ivory relief from Laconia (h. 0.106 m.). It depicts Perseus killing the Medusa in high relief. Dated to the second half of the 7th century B.C. Inv. no. A 1682.

Ivory figurine of a kneeling youth used as a lyre support (height 0.145m.). Dated to the 7th century B.C. Inv. no. A 1665.


 

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