Staatliche Antikensammlungen

The Staatliche Antikensammlungen (State Collections of Antiquities) in the Kunstareal of Munich is a museum for the Bavarian state's antique collections for Greek, Etruscan and Roman art. The Bavarian state collection of Ancient Egyptian art is traditionally placed in its own museum. Also Roman art from Bavaria is on display in a separate museum, the Bavarian State Archaeological Collection. The Staatliche Antikensammlungen museum however is complemented by the sculptures collection, which is located in the opposite Glyptothek.

The neo-classical building at Königsplatz with Corinthian columns was established in 1848 as counterpart to the opposite Glyptothek and commissioned by the Bavarian King Ludwig I. The architect was Georg Friedrich Ziebland. Already from 1869 to 1872 the building housed the royal antiquarium before the Munich Secession resided here from 1898 to 1912. From 1919 the building contained the New State Gallery. The museum building was severely damaged by bombing in World War II but was reconstructed and reopened to the public in the late 1960s to display the State Collection of Antiques.

The State Collection of Antiquities is based on the Wittelsbach antique collections, especially the collection of attic vases of King Ludwig I. In 1831 his agent Martin von Wagner acquired pottery from the archeological excavation in Vulci, his agent Friedrich von Thiersch purchased by auction the antiques from the estate of Lucien Bonaparte. The king acquired also antique gold jewellery from the collection of Caroline Murat, Etruscan bronzes excavated in Perugia and Greek terra-cottas from South Italy.

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Wikipedia