The
Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum
(ILJM) hosts the creations of the internationally renowned jeweller, elected member to the French Academie des Beaux-Arts
and founder of the Museum Ilias Lalaounis.
It was founded in 1993, as a non profit cultural organisation, and opened to the public in December 1994.
The Museum is housed in a renovated bulding of the 1930's which was initially the workshop of Ilias Lalaounis.
It is located on the southern slopes of the Acropolis hill, in the historic area of Makrygianni and nearby the new Acropolis Museum.
Unique of its kind in Greece, the Museum is a cultural organisation devoted to promotion and study of
the contemporary jewelry and decorative arts.
The
permanent exhibition
displays over 4000 jewelry, micro-sculpture and decorative artefacts,
derived from the 50 collections designed by Lalaounis between 1940-1992.
The exhibits are organised in the following 6 thematic sections:
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The Golden Dawn of Art, inspired from the prehistoric European and Greek art.
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The History of Ancient Greek Art, from the Bronze Age civilizations - Cycladic, Minoan and Mycenaean - until the Byzantine Empire.
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Collections Inspired From Other Civilizations. A panorama inspired by cultures from the eastern Mediterranean, Europe, Far East and Precolumbian America.
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Collections Inspired From Nature.
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Collections Inspired From Space, Biology and Technology.
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Special Commissions and Private Donations.
The exhibition is documented by labels and videos in Greek, English, and French,
while guided tours can be provided in German and Italian as well.
In the Museum's Model Workshop visitors may also watch jewelry craftsmen at work.
There is a Cafe and restaurant on the ground floor, and a roof garden with a view to the South side of the Parthenon.
Souvenirs, books, and jewelry can be found at the Museum Shop.
Some of the most charecteristic exhibits of the Museum are:
Hammered set in 22K gold, from the "Palaeolithic-Neolithic Jewelry Collection" (1969).
Necklace in 22K gold with a "knot-of-Herakles" pendant, from the "Classical-Hellenιstic Collection"(1957).
"Suleyman the Magnificent" (1988). Finger rings in 18K gold, rock crystal, and precious
"Sea-Shells" (1988). Hammered set in 22K gold.
Research at the ILJM is supported by a specialized Library, open to scholars by appointment.
Educational programmes for students and adult groups are offered throughout the year,
including lectures, seminars, jewelry workshops, special tours etc.
