COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.-In the first third of the 20th century the Ny Carlsberg Foundation provided financial support for the excavations undertaken by the English organisation, the Egypt Exploration Society, in Middle Egypt, which led to the unearthing of the sand-covered ruins of Amarna, the capital of King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. In grateful recognition of this funding, the Foundation received a steady stream of superb, newly-discovered treasures which it generously donated to the Glyptotek.

An agreement was concluded with the Egyptian Antiquities Service whereby objects of a unique character were to be handed over to the Cairo Museum, while it was permitted to send “duplicates” out of the country. In this way the Glyptotek assembled a small but outstanding collection of Amarna art which is, to this today, among the finest in the world.

Through April 30, 2006, it will be possible, for the very first time, for the Glyptotek’s visitors to see the museum’s entire Amarna collection in the special exhibition Egyptian Art from the Amarna Period (c. 1365-1345). Moreover, the Glyptotek is taking this opportunity to present three especially important works of Amarna art, which have just been donated by the Ny Carlsberg Foundation. A special press release about these works will be available to the public on the day the exhibition opens.

These three new acquisitions have been donated to the museum to mark the 100th anniversary, on 27th June 2006, of the creation of the Glyptotek’s Collection of Ancient Art. It is also in recognition of this occasion that the Carlsberg Foundation and the Ny Carlsberg Foundation have generously financed the museum’s current, thoroughgoing programme of renovation.