THE MYSTERIOUS COLLECTION OF FR KONSTANTINAS KUPRYS-KUPREVIČIUS

Abstract

We have little information about the priest and collector Konstantinas Kuprys-Kuprevicius (1874–1947) and his mysterious collection. He became known in cultural circles only when the State Archaeological Commission and the media mentioned him in 1935, because he acquired the archaeological collection of Fr Juozapas Žiogas (1868–1935) under unclear circumstances.* Before his death, Fr Žiogas left his collection in his will to Kaunas’ Vytautas the Great Museum of Culture. On 27 December 1935, Fr Kuprys-Kuprevicius showed his acquired collection of antiquities, along with his own pieces, in an exhibition at St Anthony’s Missionary College. After that, and until the death of Fr Kuprys-Kuprevicius, Lithuanian archaeologists and museum staff unsuccessfully attempted to take over or to repurchase the Žiogas collection. It is therefore not surprising that there was a negative opinion about Fr Kuprys-Kuprevicius in Lithuanian archaeological historiography. This article will try to illuminate the story of his life, his philanthropic activities, his passionate love of antiquities and archaeological artefacts, and his collection, which is sometimes referred to as his ‘museum’. However, due to a lack of archive data, and the mysterious disappearance of the Žiogas collection, some questions still remain. Key words: Konstantinas Kuprys-Kuprevicius, priest, collector, collection. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/ ab.v1i0.1141