Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst, Art museum in Museum Island, Berlin, Germany
The Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst is a museum on Museum Island in Berlin-Mitte that holds a large collection of European sculptures and Byzantine art from the 3rd to the 15th century. It is housed in the Bode-Museum, a building at the northern tip of the island, and displays sarcophagi, ivory carvings, and religious works from several periods.
The museum was founded between 1897 and 1904 by Wilhelm von Bode and originally bore the name Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum. It was later renamed to reflect which parts of the collection had become most central over time.
The collection brings together works from Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, with pieces by Donatello, Tilman Riemenschneider, and Bernini among them. Walking through the rooms, visitors can see how sculptors across Europe developed similar forms and themes over the centuries.
The museum is located inside the Bode-Museum on Museum Island and is most easily reached on foot or by public transport. Visiting on a weekday tends to be quieter, which makes it easier to spend time with the individual works.
Among the objects on display are late antique sarcophagi and items from Egypt that survived in unusually good condition because of the dry desert environment. These include rare wooden and fabric pieces that would not have lasted in most other parts of the world.
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