A G Leventis Gallery opened

A lecture was given by Nicholas Coldstream, Yates Emeritus Professor of Classical Art & Archaeology, on 'Cypriot Interconnections - North, East, South and West'.

The gallery is supported by the A G Leventis Foundation, established in 1979 as a result of provisions made by Anastasios G Leventis. Born in Cyprus in 1902, Mr Leventis established one of the largest companies in West Africa and from 1966 served as Cyprus' Honorary Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.

The foundation's aim is to support educational, cultural, artistic and philanthropic causes in Cyprus, Greece and elsewhere. The range and direction of its activities were based on the philanthropic interests of the founder - specifically culture and education with a special emphasis on the cultural heritage of Cyprus.

The gallery's Greek material comprises objects that date from the Neolithic to the Classical, Byzantine and Turkish periods, from sites around the Mediterranean from Italy to Egypt with some excellent examples of prehistoric Cypriot material. This collection is a resource of considerable importance and objects have, in recent years, been loaned to museums in Greece for exhibition.

To find out more about the gallery, or to arrange a visit, contact the UCL Institute of Archaeology's Collections Manager, Ian Carroll.

Image 1: Members of the Leventis family at the lecture

Image 2: The new gallery