Divers recovered this statue of Aphrodite Anadyomene (emerging from the sea) off Nea Paphos in 1956. The statue, in the tradition of the Greek sculptor Praxiteles, is of late Hellenistic date, the first century B.C. Its preserved height is 85 cm (about 33.5 inches). (Courtesy Alexander S. Onassis Benefit Foundation (USA))
You don't want to miss From Ishtar to Aphrodite: 3200 Years of Cypriot Hellenism. Treasures from the Cyprus Museum now at the Onassis Cultural Center in New York. An outstanding exhibition, From Ishtar to Aphrodite looks at the course Hellenism in Cyprus, the eastern Mediterranean's crossroads of cultures and the mythological birthplace of Aphrodite. The 85 artifacts on display are exceptional in themselves and most have never been seen outside of Cyprus before, including a first-century marble torso of Aphrodite that is the exhibition's hallmark. If you are in New York before From Ishtar to Aphrodite closes on January 3, 2004, you should make the time to see it. This is a unique opportunity.