Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2011

Even as debt-strapped Greece tries to recover its patrimony from overseas institutions like the British Museum, devotees of ancient Greek art can enjoy a traveling show of the museum’s masterpieces now touching down in Tokyo. “The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece from the British Museum” exhibits treasures from the London museum’s Greco-Roman collection, including pieces such as Discobolus, the celebrated representation of a discus thrower. The show traces the arc of ancient Greek history from simple prehistoric works to the heroic realism of the age of Alexander the Great.

The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, through Sep 25. See exhibition listings (Ueno) for details.