STOREROOMS… to light

15 Sep - 31 Dec 2008

How many times can an ancient find come to light?

The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki 'excavates' its storerooms and brings rare artefacts to light.

This presentation focussed on perfume bottles. They are often small-sized containers of a valuable commodity, the perfume.

Perfumes, either as oils or oinments were used in antiquity for personal adornment by women, in female quarters, but also during wedding preparations, and by men at the gymnasium and the palaestra. The use of perfumes as offerings to the gods was widespread, as was their use in burial practices.

The vessels presented in the Museum foyer are representative examples of perfume bottles from the Mycenaean to the Hellenistic era.