The Secrets to Displaying a 3,600-Year-Old Crown

As mountmakers, we tend to see “through” objects.

For us, close looking and examination is often required to appreciate the craftsmanship or historical context of a given piece. Our eyes, and our minds, focus almost immediately on the possibilities—and challenges—of securely displaying a work of art. Where is the object the most stable? How might we avoid touching fragile surfaces? Where is the safest placement of brackets, armatures, and clips?

When conservators in Kalamata, Greece, presented the Routsi Crown to us, I immediately began to discuss with Marie Svoboda and Tim Skornia, Antiquities Conservation colleagues, the challenges of mounting this incredible piece. The headpiece, dating from 1630 to 1510 BCE and composed of bronze, gold, and silver, is considered one of Europe’s oldest crowns. Once covering a bronze or textile cap, it may have once belonged to a priestess. It was exhibited in North America for the first time as part of the Getty Villa exhibition The Kingdom of Pylos: Warrior-Princes of Mycenaean Greece, on view from June 27, 2025 through January 12, 2026.

The threat of seismic forces (aka earthquakes) at the Villa means that we typically design mounts with vertical restraint in mind, preventing objects from lifting upward from their mounts. This was going to be a challenge, given the thin and delicate structure of the work. Metal clips would be too rigid and obtrusive. Additionally, the headpiece did not sit flat and would require a custom-made base to cradle it.

In May 2024 I traveled with a few members of Getty’s Antiquities Conservation and curatorial team to multiple sites in Greece to examine, measure, and 3D scan artifacts that would be featured in the exhibition, including the Routsi Crown. This allowed us to build a mount for the piece before it even arrived at Getty.

Designing and building the mount

The first step was to create the 3D scan of the headpiece. 3D scanning works very well for most objects, but some are resistant to scans, especially pieces that are dark, reflective, or composed of thin material. The Routsi Crown presented all three of these impediments.

As expected, the thinness of the bronze bands made it difficult to capture a complete 3D scan. Even though we obtained incomplete scans, we were able to supplement the data with an iOS-based photogrammetry app. This provided a more complete, though less detailed, digital model. These two types of scans were combined to build a more complete digital picture of the work.

To obtain a final mount base, we digitally traced the contour of the underside of the crown. We did this with a high degree of precision with CAD software, and the resulting shape formed a cradle that matched the object’s contours. This mount base was flat on the bottom, so it could be secured to a display platform inside a case.

The final mount design was adjusted to ensure the weight of the object was evenly distributed. Then the mount was printed using a 3D printer and topped with a layer of foam. The mount was then wrapped in fabric, so the artwork could be secured to the mount with carefully placed stitches.

Seismic protection

Because the Villa is in an earthquake zone, we need to make sure that if there is an earthquake, all objects on display are safe. Given the headdress's fragility and the minimal nature of the mount, we decided to install the entire display case on a Getty-engineered base isolator: a system that consists of a structural steel framework and a series of rollers and springs. Base isolators absorb horizontal seismic forces, protecting a work during earthquakes. We calculated the appropriate spring tension based on the weight of the display case and furniture.

Installation at the Villa

When the artwork arrived at the Villa, conservators removed it from its crate and checked to make sure it had not been damaged during transit. Couriers from the Archaeological Museum of Chora approved the mount, which matched the object’s underside perfectly. Getty conservator Colleen O’Shea secured the object at its most stable points to the mount with four stitches of thread. The underside of the mount was adhered to the display deck with wax.

Mounting the Routsi Crown was a special project for Antiquities Conservation. It involved extensive collaboration with our partners in Greece and a synthesis of high-tech solutions with traditional mountmaking practices. The resulting mount and seismic mitigation system present the object with minimal obtrusiveness, enabling visitors to appreciate the artwork as completely as possible. It is my hope that the mount we created can continue to present this remarkable piece to audiences in Greece and around the world: the ultimate reward for any mountmaker on a job well done.

This exhibition was co-organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.

The rights to the depicted monument belong to the Ministry of Culture (Law 4858/2021). The monument (Routsi Crown) falls under the jurisdiction of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messenia / Hellenic Ministry of Culture - Hellenic Organization of Cultural Resources Development.