Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum
The Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum in Athens, housed in an early
20th century building on 12, Kyryatidon and Kallisperi Street
near the Acropolis, was founded in 1993 as a private non-profit
foundation devoted to the art of jewelry. It opened to the
public in 1994 and today houses in its permanent collections
more than 4.000 models of jewelry and micro-sculptures, from
50 collections, designed by its founder Ilias Lalaounis,
between 1940 and 2000. Since the year 2001 the museum collects
jewelry and other decorative arts from different periods
and various cultures.
The
museum’s collections are separated in six categories and
are on display on the two floors of the building. The jewels from
the “Golden Dawn of Art” on the first floor are inspired
by the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods as well as the finds
from prehistoric caves around the Mediterranean.
In
the “Ilion” collection there are copies of the necklace
and earrings, parts of the Treasure of Priamos that was uncovered
by Heinrich Schliemann in Troy. The “Story of the Greek
Jewel” consists of collections inspired by periods starting
with the Bronze Age up until the Byzantine era while the fourth
category includes jewels inspired by European, American and Asian
cultures.
Two
of the categories displayed on the second floor are inspired by
nature and by modern technology and biology. The last category,
called “Special Requests”, includes jewels and ornaments
that were made on people’s special request.
The
museum's cultural role focuses on promoting the history of jewelry
and the goldsmith's art. A number of temporary exhibitions, research
programs, publications and other cultural programs are continuously
being presented. Further initiatives include social work and educational
programs for students which use all the museum's facilities, such
as a library, a prototype jewelry workshop for hands on experience
and audio visual material.
Permanent
collections and temporary exhibitions emphasize in practical
jewelry-making and design, decorative and other applied arts
and enhance the displays in a stimulating experience. The
Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum is the first and only jewelry
museum in Greece.
Opening hours and admission
12, Karyatidon and Kalisperi Street - Makrygianni
Acropoli
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