Classical Collection

Glencairn's Classical collection consists of over five hundred objects. The most spectacular piece is an almost life-sized marble statue of Minerva Victoria, an eye-catching and well-preserved Roman statue of the goddess Minerva in the guise of Victory (a concept that ancient Greeks and Romans deified). Due to its excellent state of preservation, this statue may have been displayed indoors or in a sheltered location such as an imperial residence, a private Roman villa, or a commemorative victory monument. 

Other examples of stone sculpture include a stone lekythos used as a Greek tombstone, two Roman sarcophagi, and a Roman copy of a Greek head of the goddess Aphrodite. In addition, the collection contains decorated pottery, an extensive jewelry collection, coins, lamps, glass vessels, bronze objects, and statuettes made from bronze, clay, and ivory. These pieces are products of Greek, Roman, Cycladic, Mycenaean, Etruscan, and Cypriot cultures, ranging in date from about 2700 BC to the late Roman period (5th and 6th centuries AD).

The Classical collection is exhibited in two galleries: Greek, and Roman and Early Christian. The objects in the Greek gallery have been arranged to illustrate the religious beliefs of the ancient Greeks. One section of the exhibit, Greek Religion, focuses on Greek gods and goddesses and religious rituals. Other sections of the gallery look at topics such as personal adornment, athletics, wine-drinking, and funerary beliefs, all with an emphasis on religious practices.

In the Roman and Early Christian gallery, objects are arranged to illustrate the diversity of religions that were present in the Roman empire, including traditional Roman religion, early Christianity, and the Roman adoption of Egyptian religion.