The Louvre to host Thracian treasures

published on 9/21/12 10:46 AM

Items from the Panagyurishte treasure

Photo: archive

The findings from the Valley of Thracian Kings /Central Bulgaria/ and the magnificent Thracian treasures from Panagyurishte and Rogozen will be displayed in the Hall of the Seven Fireplaces in the central part of the Louvre in Paris in the spring of 2014. A bronze head of the Thracian King Seuthes III /who ruled during the last decades of the IV c. BC/, the wreath of gold and other objects, discovered in his tomb back in 2004 by the late archaeologist Dr. Georgi Kitov will be among the accents of the exposition. Experts from the prestigious museum’s Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities Department have insisted on the presenting of 145 selected artifacts, which are the brightest testimony for the connections of the Thracians with the Hellenic and other civilizations. There are fine works of gold, bronze, marble and clay among them and those prove the high level, reached by crafts at the height of the Thracian states and their culture on the Balkan Peninsula.

The French experts also wanted silver vessels from the Borovo Treasure /with animals and mythological scenes depicted with inscriptions in Greek from the IV c. BC/, along with objects from the king’s necropolis near the village of Duvanli /Plovdiv region, South Bulgaria/ to be displayed.

The Treasure from Borovo

Bronze head of Thracian King Ceutes III

Bulgarian experts from the History Museum of Pazardjik /South Bulgaria/ offered this summer the exposing of a little known treasure, discovered accidentally at the village of Ravnogor during a process of leveling of Thracian mounds back in 1987. Dr. Kitov found then 9 objects, made of gold plated, high purity silver and with applications for horse ammos. There is a unique piece of ammo, designed to protect a horse’s forehead among them, along with a 20 cm long application that decorated the chest of the animal, buried in the mound. A goddess can be seen in it, with beautiful and very noble face. This is one of the most precise findings across the Thracian lands. The goddess combines features of Nike, Apollo, Dionysus… After its restoration the treasure was exhibited for a first time in the early 90s and later on it was a guest at different expositions in the USA, Japan, Germany, France etc.

Manuscripts from the Ottoman Empire, kept in the National Library in Sofia will also be displayed at the Louvre. Certain interest has also been shown towards the objects, discovered in Bulgaria by a French diplomat in the beginning of the 20th century, along with the findings of the Apollonia Pontica Bulgarian/French archaeological expedition.

According to Director of the Louvre Henri Loyrette, who really believes in the success of the large-scaled project, the preparation for the presentation of the Thracian treasures is now full speeded. The discussion, related to the exhibition will continue in Paris in October, when Bulgarian Minister of Culture Vezhdi Rashidov will meet once again with Mr. Loyrette.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev

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The Louvre to host Thracian treasures

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