From October 12-November 30, the Getty Villa will remain open until 9:00 p.m. on Saturdays, providing additional opportunities to see this iconic relic on loan from the British Museum which concludes its highly successful United States tour in Los Angeles. Previous venues have included the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.
Inscribed on the orders of the Persian king Cyrus II (ruled 559–530 B.C.), the cylinder recounts how he conquered the city of Babylon in 539 B.C. and instituted reforms throughout the region, restoring sanctuaries that had become dilapidated and permitting exiled peoples to return home. Often referred to as the first “bill of human rights,” the clay cylinder provides critical contemporary background to Cyrus’s reputation as a benevolent ruler in ancient Greek and biblical texts, and bears witness to the multi-ethnic nature of the expanding Achaemenid Empire, which introduced innovative forms of writing, religion, and luxury goods to the Near East.
In addition to the Cyrus Cylinder, the exhibition includes a number of related objects that highlight the artistic, cultural, and historical achievements of the Achaemenid Empire of Iran, including architectural fragments, finely carved seals, and gold jewelry, vessels, and other luxury objects from the Oxus Treasure.
The Cyrus Cylinder, after 539 B.C. Image courtesy of and © The Trustees of the British Museum (2013). All rights reserved.
Admission to the Getty Villa and The Cyrus Cylinder And Ancient Persia: A New Beginning is free, but advance timed tickets are required. Tickets are available now at www.getty.edu/visit or by calling (310) 440-7300. Parking is $15; $10 after 5 p.m. on Saturdays. With the Getty’s “Pay Once, Park Twice” program, visitors to both the Getty Center and the Getty Villa on the same day pay only one parking fee, using a special coupon obtained at the Information Desk of the first museum visited.
The Los Angeles presentation of The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia: A New Beginning was made possible by the generous support of Farhang Foundation, the Getty’s sponsor and community partner. This exhibition was organized by the British Museum in partnership with the Iran Heritage Foundation and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, in collaboration with the J. Paul Getty Museum. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities.
The exhibition at the Getty Villa is curated by Timothy Potts, Director of the J. Paul Getty Museum, and David Saunders, Assistant Curator of Antiquities at the J. Paul Getty Museum.