The Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles opened its turtle-theme exhibition, “Art Ecology–Culture,” showcasing 340 non-precious pieces of jewelry, souvenirs, decorations, toys and soaps, on March 19 at the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum near the Acropolis.

The items from around the world had been collected by Mrs. Lily Venizelos, the president and founder of Medasset, over a period of 25 years from all over the world. “The collection is a combination of beauty, ethnicity, civilization and conservation,” Venizelos said.

The exhibition was held on the second floor of the museum. The pieces were set in display cases, each case displaying three or four items from different parts of the world and mixing jewelry with the toys and decorations.

The exhibition was supplemented by information about the organization, maps showing the areas that the organization works in and photographs of several sea-turtle species.

The idea came to Ilias Lalaounis when he was talking to Venizelos about a Medasset project. “I went to see him and I mentioned my collection. He was thrilled and he offered to exhibit it in his museum for a while,” explained Venizelos. She told him that it wasn’t a precious collection, but he insisted and infused her with his enthusiasm.

The opening included a visitors’ tour led by Venizelos, who explained the significance of turtles in foreign cultures. “I think it’s a very interesting exhibition,” said visitor Lila Hadjidakis. “I never knew that in Peru, for instance, that they worshipped the sea turtle and depicted it in their art.”

The collection was such a success that in November it will be sent and exhibited at the Creta Aquarium in Heraklion, Crete. “Who would have thought that all the things Lily had been collecting for so many years would end up as such a beautiful collection so much in demand,” said Effie Georgakopoulos, a Venizelos associate.

Medasset, an international non-governmental organisation that works for the conservation of sea turtles and their habitats throughout the Mediterranean, was founded in 1988.