Artemis bust preserved at museum

BOLU

The painted “Artemis” bust, which is considered one of the rarest artifacts in the world due to its material and painted features, is being preserved at Bolu Museum.

The museum takes visitors on a journey through history, showcasing marble, glass, metal and terracotta artifacts from the Neolithic, Early Bronze, Phrygian, Urartian, Lydian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods, along with numerous Ottoman-era objects.

Among the museum’s exhibits are the statues of the health god "Asclepius," his daughter "Hygieia," and his assistant "Telesphorus," as well as the Roman-era "Heracles" statue, "Hermes" bust, "Nymph" statue and a gladiator tomb stele. The painted “Artemis" bust also garners significant attention from visitors.

The nearly 2,000-year-old bust, determined to represent the Greek goddess "Artemis," was discovered during construction work in the Akpınar neighborhood in the 1970s. Its original paint has survived to the present day, making it a standout artifact. The Bolu Chamber of Commerce and Industry aims to increase awareness of the bust by creating a 3D model of it.

'A highly rare artifact'

Gül Karaüzüm Yıldız, deputy director of Bolu Museum, told the state-run Anadolu Agency that the Artemis bust has great value for Bolu and Türkiye.

Although many statues exist in museums across Anatolia, the number of painted statues is exceptionally low, Yıldız said, noting that the bust is remarkable for its painted features.

Stating that statues from antiquity were originally painted, Yıldız said: "Statues were not colorless as we see them in museums today. Their hair and clothing were painted, and traces of makeup can still be seen on their faces. This statue is valuable to us because of its vibrant colors. The marble is also of very high quality. It is particularly significant as it is the first statue of a goddess discovered in Bolu."

Hakan Ulutürk, an archaeologist at the Bolu Museum, provided details about the bust’s construction techniques and features. "What makes this artifact especially significant is its 'polychromy,' which refers to its multicolored appearance. While many such artifacts were produced during the Roman period, very few have survived with their original paint intact."

Ulutürk explained that the female head statue was colored using the "ganosis" technique — a polishing method applied to painted or smooth marble surfaces to preserve them — and elaborated further. "Ganosis essentially involves the application of beeswax in various forms to protect the colors of an artifact. Thus, this artifact is crucial because of its vibrant colors. Polychromy was a widely used technique in Roman and ancient Greek sculpture, but it rarely survives today. Usually, only small traces remain. The preservation of the paint on the entire head makes this a highly rare artifact."

Ulutürk attributed the lack of surviving paint on Roman and Greek sculptures to their storage conditions. "This statue’s paint has lasted because it was kept in a sheltered location. The quality of the technical application also likely contributed to its preservation," he added.