The Museum of Cycladic Art is a must-see for any antiquities collector. It is an easy stroll from the Syntagma Metro, just five minutes up the posh Vasilissis Sofias. The museum is arranged on four floors, the first two being dedicated to the Goulandris family collection, dominated by one of the world’s greatest collections of more than 50 complete Cycladic figures plus hundreds of fragments.
These Cycladic Idols date from the Early Bronze Age (3200-2000 BC) and are the product of a distinctive civilization that flourished in the Greek Cycladic Islands and was active in trade with the early Helladic Greek mainland, Minoan Crete and the North Aegean. The figures were worked with stone, and later bronze tools then polished with emery or pumice.
The appearance of the figures was no accident. They were laid out according to a canon of prescribed proportions that evolved over time and varied slightly between the main centers of production. Still, the repertoire of figures that survive display a primal harmony and symmetry that seems timeless; at once ancient and ultra-modern.
One of the most striking idols, the so-called “Modigliani” Figure (inspiration for several works of the 20th century painter) greets visitors in the center of the first room (see photo at left). Technically known as a Dokathismata Variety and attributed to the Ashmoleon Museum Master, this slender female figure dates to the Keros-Syros Culture (2800-2300 BC).
In the main gallery, one finds a large and very unusual Cycladic figure in the form of a male with obvious genitalia. This large statue is considered the work of the “Goulandris Master” and also dates to the Syros period of 2800-2300 BC. It is a unique representation in monumental dimensions (the fragment alone is more than 2 feet). A most unusual feature, visible in the photo at right, is that unlike other figures the crossed arms do not touch.
A few display cases away, another interesting variant is the so-called Kapsala variety. Here, the figure has distinctively bent legs, almost as if intended to be seated.
Two other masterpieces in the main gallery demand attention. First is the “Cup-Bearer,” a figure with almond-shaped head almost perpendicular to the neck. There are no sexual characteristics evident. The free projection of the outstretched right arm with no support is an extremely rare feature in Cycladic sculpting.
Last but not least is a monumental female figure nearly five feet tall, one of only two complete examples of this size known (the other is in the National Museum at Athens). It is thought the figure came from Amorgos, Keros or Herakleia. (The photo on the left gives a sense of proportion compared to unidentified person on left. The photo on the right provides a close-up from one side.)
The Cycladic Museum is also rich in other objects, including Cycladic vessels and related objects from the Cycladic Period. But the museum also offers a fine collection of objects from the Glory of Athens through the period of Rome.
One gets an idea of the variety of objects from the photo at left showing Bronze Age terracottas in the foreground and Classical Greek vases and Roman marble statuary in the further room.
One case worth noting is a wonderful display of ancient bronzes including two small solid bronze Greek weights each decorated with a dolphin. Located not far away is a case of Greek vases that includes a jovial Corinthian kylix decorated with the humorous caricature of a young athletic man who possibly worked in the same workshop. 
The 3rd floor contains the Thanos Zintilis collection (
photos right) featuring a superb selection of Cypriot pottery and terracottas. The layout of the objects provides an excellent chronology of the evolution of Cypriot pottery. Zintilis collected mostly in the 1950s and 1960s.
Finally, the 4th floor houses the Greek-born, American-bred Charles Politis collection. Politis founded the largest plastics company in Greece and in the process formed an outstanding collection of ancient Greek works of various periods. The photo at the left shows objects including Greek terracotta pigs and small Attic lekythoi. 
The museum is closed Tuesdays and Thursdays, so be sure to plan your trip to include a visit. The collections can be comfortably seen in 2-3 hours.
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