The gold trinkets and bowls on display at the Neues Museum in Berlin beneath the banner “Schliemann’s Troy” aren’t Schliemann’s and aren’t from Troy.  They’re reproductions of the treasures that the German archaeologist unearthed in Hissarlik, Turkey in 1873, incorrectly attributed to the Homeric city, and illegally smuggled from the country.  The find made Schliemann’s reputation, and a photograph of his wife Sophia wearing what he believed were Helen’s jewels caused an additional sensation.  Why did Schliemann dress her in the pieces, “every one of which is of inestimable value to archaeology,” and then circulate the photograph?

The jewels – or, should I say, the reproductions of the jewels on display at the museum – are truly majestic.  The diadem, earrings and necklace are crafted from shards of yellow gold hammered paper-thin that catch light and shimmer like a liquid.  They’re exuberant, excessive and dramatic; they’re exactly what an ancient queen should wear.   Sophia, with her high-collared dress, tight bun, and pursed lips, has really not gotten properly into the spirit of things.