portrait of a youth wearing a gold laurel crown surrounded by a wood and gold background. Banner for Gallery Talk vertical bar ’What Did They Wear?: The Art of Personal Adornment in the Ancient Mediterranean“

Gallery Talk | 'What Did They Wear?: The Art of Personal Adornment in the Ancient Mediterranean"

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Presentation Open to Faculty/Staff Open to Students Open to the Public

Thu, Nov 5, 2026

12 PM – 1 PM EST (GMT-5)

Bowdoin College Museum of Art

245 Maine Street, Brunswick, ME 04011, United States

Details

Professor Jim Higginbotham, Associate Professor of Classics on the Henry Johnson Professorship Fund and Associate Curator for the Ancient Collection and curator of the new exhibition, What Did They Wear?: The Art of Personal Adornment in the Ancient Mediterranean, will lead a tour and share insights into this unique display of the museum's collection.

This exhibition explores what was worn by people in the ancient Mediterranean and how various apparel–garments, clothing, footwear, jewelry, and accessories–were used by ancient cultures to represent ethnicity, signify social standing, identify deities, and equip an individual for special occasions and specific roles. Then, as now, appearance mattered!

Free and open to the public; no registration required. Presented by the Bowdoin College Museum of Art.

Bowdoin College is committed to providing an accessible and welcoming environment. Please contact the Events Office (events@bowdoin.edu or 207-725-3433) with any questions regarding the accessibility of this event and/or to request accommodations. Please note: some accommodations require advance notice and may require documentation of a disabling condition.

Image: Artist Unidentified (Egyptian), Portrait of a Youth Wearing a Gilded Wreath, ca. 100-199, wood (linden, tilia), wax-based paint (encaustic), gold leaf, 15 1/2 x 8 x 1/16 in. (39.37 x 20.32 x 0.16 cm). Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine. Museum Purchase, Adela Wood Smith Trust.

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