Ince Athena statue on BBC’s ‘A History of the World’

Today's object featured on Radio Merseyside for the BBC's 'A History of the World' project, is the Ince Athena statue from our Classical collections. You will be able to hear Gina Muskett, curator of classical antiquities, talking about the statue on 'listen again' here. Here is Gina to tell us more about this beautiful and statuesque sculpture!

---

I’ve been a curator at World Museum for less than six months, and so many exciting things have happened in such a short time. As well as a new gallery opening for a display of the museum’s collection of Greek objects, I was so pleased when Athena was chosen as one of the objects for the BBC’s ‘A History of the World’ project.

The statue has brilliant links with the local area, as it used to belong to Henry Blundell, who lived at Ince Blundell Hall. Many of you will have seen the entrance to the hall when travelling by road from Liverpool to Southport. We’ve just had an anniversary too – in 2009 it was 50 years since the statues came to the then Liverpool Museum, as a gift.

I’m so lucky to be the curator of the ‘Ince Athena’ statue. I knew about her (yes, I know the statue’s not a real human!) even before I worked at World Museum. I visited the museum a lot when I was a student, and can remember seeing Athena in the old Ancient World gallery, and am really pleased that she’s going back on display again.

As you can imagine, statues get quite grubby when they’re on display without cases, and Athena has spent quite a bit of time in the National Conservation Centre, being cleaned up. She looks wonderful again now, as I’m sure you’ll agree when you see her again – she’ll be on display from the middle of February, greeting visitors at the main entrance to World Museum.