Vanity: Stories of Jewellery in the Cyclades

The romantic, crystalline Aegean Sea, the majestic elegance of the Acropolis, the sea-foam-born goddess of beauty, and the once-brilliant Byzantine civilization—Greece offers far more than these familiar wonders in its pursuit of beauty. In 2019, 297 pieces of jewelry from the Cyclades make their debut at the Guangdong Museum. As one of the birthplaces of ancient Greek civilization, the Cycladic Islands served as a cradle for Aegean art and culture.

This exhibition takes visitors on a journey from the Cyclades of 6000 BCE to contemporary Greece in the 1970s. Through vibrant frescoes, dazzling gold and gemstone ornaments, solemn religious adornments, and Mediterranean-style dress accessories, visitors can trace the evolution of Mediterranean civilization and discover the sources of inspiration that shaped Western modern and contemporary jewelry arts.

Each Greek ornament—whether rustic or exquisitely crafted—shines like a star in the galaxy of human creativity, guiding us through millennia of Greek aesthetics, emotional expression, and social change.

Highlights