28 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

This Month in the “You Will See What You Don’t See” Project

Izmir Archeology Museum started to exhibit the unseen artifacts in its warehouses last month in the project that started under the name of “You Will See What You Don’t See”.

The works of this month that will be exhibited within the scope of the “You Will See What You Do Not See” project of the Izmir Archeology Museum are “Attic Red-Figured Dwarf Lekythos”.

Last month, the project was started with a wonderful bronze arch belonging to the Urartu period. The people of Izmir had the chance to see this 2800-year-old beautiful arch during the month of January.

İzmir Archeology Museum’s February guest, “Dwarf Lekythos with Attica Red Figures” were made to store oil and perfume and were produced by the method known as “red figure” in the Ancient Greek world. It was determined that these beautiful works on display were processed in the “Potters Bazaar” in Athens 2 thousand 600 years ago.

These works, made by ancient Greek artists, have been found from the Ancient City of Neonteikhos in Menemen and in the Seferihisar excavations. You will be able to see these unique works of art embellished with exquisite swans, Athenian women, and mythological depictions on them for a month.

It is understood that these vessels, which are thought to have been brought to İzmir and its surroundings in the 5th or 6th century BC, were used by women belonging to the upper class and were buried with them after their deaths. It is in line with the traditions of the period that fragrant perfumes obtained from fragrant oils and flower essences are placed on a woman’s grave as a grave gift.

Attic Red-Figured Dwarf Lekythos
Attic Red-Figured Dwarf Lekythos

The works that prove the great interest in perfume and perfume bottles brought from distant lands throughout history will be presented to the visitors at the museum until the end of February.

İzmir Archeology Museum Director Hünkar Keser told AA correspondent Mehmet Emin Mengüarslan that there are 180 thousand artifacts in the museum, that they can display only 5 percent of these works, and that they preserve many valuable pieces in the warehouse.

Reminding that they exhibited the princess arch that reflects the 2,800-year-old Urartu culture of the Van region in January, Keser said that the second step of the project named “You Will See What You Don’t See”  is imported perfume bottles.

“In February, we are bringing our visitors together with Attica Red Figured Dwarf Lekythos. These works were painted by the master artists of the period. It was produced from the 6th century BC. Special production works. They have imported the works they painted with their superior artistic understanding to the Aegean Region. More herbal scents have been sent. It is not too big, as it very valuable perfumes and oils, but imported in smaller containers. In these containers, the technique of painting black over the red color of the ceramic was used. Painters produced works very close to human skin color and anatomy. They dealt with both mythological and everyday subjects in their works. ”

Keser stated that there are very few red-figure works that have survived until today, “Precious scents are rare, but the work of an artist who lived before Christ is invaluable.” she said.

Hünkar Keser stated that the artifacts may have come to the port with a merchant who held the load, or they might have been brought in as a souvenir.

Related Articles

Unique 2700-year-old mosaics unearthed in illegal excavations

17 November 2021

17 November 2021

Two 2700-year-old mosaics, which are thought to belong to a Roman rich man and symbolize magnificence, were found in a...

Burial site for Enigmatic Anglo-Saxon King Cerdic found, author claims

3 May 2024

3 May 2024

The possible final resting place of Cerdic, the enigmatic founder of the Kingdom of Wessex and a key figure in...

The 20-million-year-old fossil of a sea creature in the ancient city of Tyana may have been used as a means of payment

22 October 2021

22 October 2021

During the ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Tyana in the Kemerhisar district of Niğde, a 20-million-year-old fossil thought...

Tens of Thousands of Ancient Bronze Coins Dating from the 4th Century Discovered Off Sardinia

4 November 2023

4 November 2023 1

A diver spotted something metallic at the bottom of the sea off the town of Arzachena in the Sassari province...

2700-year-old Ancient Blacksmith Workshop Unearthed in Oxfordshire

6 February 2024

6 February 2024

Archaeologists have uncovered a “master blacksmith’s” Iron Age workshop in South Oxfordshire, a local government center in the ceremonial county...

Dominican mission discovers 1,305-meter Greco-Roman ancient rock-cut tunnel in Alexandria

4 November 2022

4 November 2022

A Greco-Roman tunnel measuring 1,305 meters in length was discovered beneath Tapuziris Magna, an Ancient Egyptian city, by an Egyptian-Dominican...

2nd-Century Statue Head Discovered at Fethiye Castle

22 August 2024

22 August 2024

Türkiye’s coastal town of Fethiye, which is famous for its natural beauties and historical sites, found an 1800-year-old statue head...

500-year-old curse tablet found in Germany

15 December 2023

15 December 2023

In the city of Rostock on Germany’s northern coast, archaeologists found a lead curse tablet invoking Satan and two other...

A 13th-Century Italian Fresco Reveals the Medieval Church’s Use of Islamic Altar Tents

3 February 2025

3 February 2025

A recently rediscovered 13th-century fresco in Ferrara, Italy, offers significant insights into the medieval practice of utilizing Islamic tents to...

Unique Rock Tomb Discovered in Southeastern Türkiye’s Şanlıurfa

3 March 2025

3 March 2025

Hasan Şıldak, the governor of the city of Şanlıurfa in south-eastern Türkiye, announced on his social media account that a...

Inscription dedicated to Roman Emperor Hadrian found in ancient city of Blaundus

26 November 2024

26 November 2024

An inscription dedicated to the Roman Emperor Hadrian was discovered during the ongoing excavations at the ancient city of Blaundus...

Rare 3,500-Year-Old Chariot Wheel Discovered at Inverness Golf Course

24 April 2025

24 April 2025

Archaeologists have discovered a rare prehistoric chariot wheel at the site of a future golf course near Inverness. The discovery...

Stone-arched tunnel discovered near Achaemenid dam in southern Iran

4 February 2022

4 February 2022

A cultural heritage protection team has recently discovered a stone-arched tunnel located near an Achaemenid embankment dam in southern Iran....

‘Dinosaur dance floor’ dating back 80 million years found in China

20 April 2021

20 April 2021

In China, researchers have found many dinosaur footprints in an area of 1,600 square meters described in the literature as...

Saudi shipwreck excavation reveals hundreds of 18th-century artifacts on sunken ship in the north Red Sea

25 February 2022

25 February 2022

Divers from Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Authority have discovered a shipwreck in the Red Sea from the 18th century filled with...