About 2,500 years ago, the Acropolis of Athens was filled with statues of young women, called korai. Raised on high bases, these dedicated offerings created a forest of shimmering marble women honouring the goddess Athena.
One of the finest examples of these objects, known as Kore 670, which rarely leaves the Acropolis Museum, has travelled to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), where it is on view through January 8, 2024, in the Museum’s Art of Ancient Greece, Rome and the Byzantine Empire galleries.
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Kore 670 to Boston and to participate in this historic exchange with Greece.
She is undoubtedly one of the most dazzling and enchanting archaic sculptures, and it will be a pleasure to witness her in dialogue with the masterpieces of the MFA’s Early Greek holdings, such as the Mantiklos Apollo. We plan to activate her presence in the gallery through public programming and learning opportunities, and we invite teachers and students of all ages to learn about Greek art and society by engaging with her,” said Phoebe Segal, Mary Bryce Comstock, Curator of Greek and Roman Art.
The loan was arranged in partnership with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Acropolis Museum of Athens. In exchange, the MFA has loaned three vases to the Acropolis Museum, which are on view now as part of a thematic display on employment in ancient Athens.
The full press release is available on mfa.org.
