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1887 |
The Ludovisi Throne is discovered (with other Greek sculptures) buried in the grounds of the Ludovisi Villa, between Via Piemonte and Via Abruzzi on the Pinian Hill, in Rome. This was the area of the ancient gardens of Sallust. The throne becomes part of the Ludovisi collection, and is named after its owners, an Italian family of ecclesiasticss, rulers, patrons and collectors, in an article published by E. Petersen in 1892.
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| 1894 | Due to financial difficulties, the Ludovisi family sell their entire collection. It is aquired by the Italian State for a large sum. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts was also interested in the collection. The Throne is displayed in the Museo Nazionale Romano delle Terme. |
| 1894 | Following the insatiable bidding for the Ludovisi Throne in the above auction, the Boston Throne appears on the antique market. It was allegedly discovered in the area of the ancient gardens of Sallust (see under 1887) by the German Archaeologist Wolfgang Helbig (Director of the German Archaeological Institution in Rome) who had been involved in the sale of the Ludovisi Throne. Other minor archeologists and businessmen were also involved. There followed various conflicting reports as to exactly when, where and how the Throne was discovered, and various dubious previous sightings of the Throne in monasteries and convents. |
| 1895 | An unidentified Italian figure helps persuade goverment ministers to agree on the expatriation of the throne (see under 1896.) |
| 26th January, 1896. | The Boston Throne is bought by E.P. Warren for the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, for 165,000 gold lire. A payment of 30,000 goes to the mysterious Italian (see above) but the money is delivered to Wolfgang Helbig, who "discovered" the throne. |
| 1896 | The Boston Throne is taken to Sussex, U.K, where it is manually cleaned. It remains here before being shipped to America. |
| 1909 | The Throne is exported to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, U.S.A., but it is not allowed to be put on display until 1909 because of a clause established in the contract of aquisition. |
| 1925 | Caskey publishes a long report promoting the authenticity of the Boston Throne. There follows a large critical debate. |
| 1959 | E. Nash, employed by the MFA Boston, publishes new research into the discovery of the Boston Throne in an attempt to silence critics. The report, in fact, raises further points suggesting that the throne may be a fake. |
| 1965 | The MFA suggest the authenticity of the Boston Throne could be established by a careful study of its surface. |
| 1966 | The MFA's research labs undertake a technical examination under W.J.Young. The throne is found to be of ancient origin, and of similar marble as the Ludovisi Throne. |
| 1982 | The Ludovisi Throne is linked to a newly studied temple at Marasa, near Locri. A reconstruction of the throne is shown to fit exactly into the remaining blocks in the temple's foundations. |
| 1987 | Prof Norman Herz ( Director of the Center for Archaeological Sciences, University of Georgia) offers to test the Boston Throne by isotopic methods. W. J. Young, for the MFA, refuses to send samples. |
| 1992 | It is suggested by Pico Cellini that the brown encrustation on the Boston Throne is actually made with Mayer's Mastic - a common glue. |
| 1995 | Richard Newman, the new research assistant at the MFA, repeats Young's analysis of the weathering layers on the Boston Throne. The encrustation is found to be ancient, and definately not a mastic. |
| 1996 24/3 - 8/12 | The Ludovisi and Boston Thrones are shown together for the first time ever as part of the Western Greeks exhibition, at the Palazzo Grassi, Venice. (Scroll down the list of exhibitions. The link to "The Western Greeks" is at the bottom.) |
| 1996 12th September. | A conference is held at the Palazzo Grassi for important scholars to determine the origin of the Boston Throne. (The results are unpublished as yet.) |
| Late 1996/ early 1997 | The Boston Throne returns to the MFA, Boston. Not currently on display. |
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