Lot 06002

The collection comprises of 10 in total impressive volumes (9 volumes in elephant folio & 1 very large Atlas volume dim.75x70cm) and presents a thorough documentation of the pioneer excavation process. The archaeological site and the discovered artifacts are depicted in more than 460 full-page or double page photographic plates, coloured plans, drawings, sketches & maps. An extremely rare account of a pioneer archaeological excavation, that introduced for the first time to the world the discoveries of Olympia, such as the great altar of Zeus or the sculpture of Hermes of Praxiteles.  

The collection is divided here in two publication sets presented in details below.

The initial publication of the excavation results was published by Curtius and Adler just after each excavation period, resulting  in a series of 5 Volumes published between 1876-1881 under the title: “Die Ausgrabungen zu Olympia”. These reports, that are offered here as the first set of the current Lot., laid the foundation for all subsequent historical works. Below an analytical report of the volumes:

– [Olympia… Die Ausgrabungen – Teil I: Ubersicht der Arbeiten und Funde vom Winter und Fruhjahr 1875-1876. Berlin, 1876. With 23 plates as called-for, but lacking title page and apparently 20 pages text.

– Olympia… Die Ausgrabungen – Teil II: Ubersicht der Arbeiten und Funde vom Winter und Fruhjahr 1876-1877. Berlin, 1877. With 20 pages text and 35 plates. 

– Olympia… Die Ausgrabungen – Teil III: Ubersicht der Arbeiten und Funde vom Winter und Fruhjahr 1877-1878. Berlin, 1879. With 32 pages text and 38 plates. 

– Olympia… Die Ausgrabungen – Teil IV: Ubersicht der Arbeiten und Funde vom Winter und Fruhjahr 1878-1879. Berlin, 1880. With 51 pages text and 39 plates. 

– Olympia… Die Ausgrabungen – Teil V: Ubersicht der Arbeiten und Funde vom Winter und Fruhjahr 1879-1880 und 1881-1882. Berlin, 1881. With 48 pages text and 43 plates.

All volumes in folio, re-bound in red library cloth, generally tight, but externally dusty. Most leaves are brittle and show some chipping. Library perforations to plates and title pages, some archival cello tape repairs passim.

Further analysis of the excavation finds were published between 1890-1896 in 4 large folio plate volumes, presenting detailed photographs, sketches and plans of the archaeological site and the artifacts. These volumes that do not include text are analytically presented below as the second set of the current Lot.:

– Adler F., Dorpfeld W., Borrmann R., Graeber F., Graef P., “Die Baudenkmaler von Olympia. Erster Tafelband: Tafel I-LXXII”, Berlin, 1892. 72 full-page photographic plates & drawings (some folding). In later orange cloth, dusty but tight.

– Curtius E. & Adler F., “Die Ergebnisse von dem Deutschen Reich veranstalten Ausgrabung: Tafelband II: Der Baudenkmaler, zweite Halfte. Tafel LXXIII-CXXXII”, Berlin, 1896. 60 full-page photographic plates & drawings (some folding), some coloured. Later green cloth, dusty and frayed, both panels detached but present.

– Curtius E. & Adler F., “Die Ergebnisse von dem Deutschen Reich veranstalten Ausgrabung: Tafelband III: Die Bildwerke in Stein und Ton. Tafel I-LIX”, Berlin, 1894. 69 full-page photographic plates & few drawings (some folding) of the sculptures discovered, including Hermes of Praxiteles & Nike of Paionios. Later green cloth, dusty and frayed, both panels detached but present.

– “Die Ergebnisse von dem Deutschen Reich veranstalten Ausgrabung: Tafelband IV: Die Bronzen. Tafel I-LXXI”, Berlin, A. Asher & Co, 1890. 71 full-page photographic plates & sketches of the bronze artifacts (some folding). Later green cloth, dusty and frayed. Small part of outer spine missing.

Some leaves are brittle and show some chipping. Some archival cello tape repairs pasim.

Along with this set of volumes, an extremely rare Atlas volume of impressive size 75x68cm was published in 1897 and offered here, entitled: “Curtius and Adler. Die Ergebnisse von dem Deutschen Reich veranstalten Ausgrabung Karten und Plane: Topographie und Geschichte”, Berlin, Asher & Co, 1897. It contains 13 very rare maps and plans (never published again) as well as a folding photograph of the Olympia site (104x23cm), all drawn by the members of the German archaeological team J. Partsch, P. Graef & W. Dorpfeldas. All of them mounted to old archival boards. Boards may be soiled and/or chipped at edges.

All volumes ex-library: sold with all faults, including library perforated stamps, brittle edges passim, library accession numbers ink-stamped at foot of index to each volume, etc.

The historical background

In 1874 Germany negotiated a contract with Greek government allowing for the excavation of ancient Olympia, one of the most sacred sites of the ancient Greek world, still almost untouched until that time. The German archaeologist Ernst Curtius had already gained a generous fund by the King Friedrich IV and along with the German Architect Friedrich Adler were appointed to direct the archaeological excavations. The excavations started on 1875 and until 1881 nearly all of ancient Olympia was uncovered.

The German archaeological team implemented pioneer excavation methods, where all events were logged in a journal, the findings were rendered in drawings and photos and series of drawings were produced depicting all the simultaneous stages of the excavation process. This systematic scientific excavation led to impressive discoveries such as the temple of Hera, the great altar of Zeus, and the location of the Olympic stadium. Most of the superb sculptures unearthed had been damaged and fragmented, but a few were in surprisingly fine condition with the most famous example the sculpture of Hermes of Praxiteles.