The adjective “Cycladic” comes from the word “Cyclades,” the name of Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. Thanks to a long-term loan from the Greek government, 161 Cycladic works of art have come to the Met Museum. Acquired by the businessman and philanthropist Leonard Stern over the last 40 years, this is the most comprehensive private collection of Cycladic art put together outside of Greece. The works primarily originate from the Early Bronze Age, but some pieces date back to the Late Neolithic period. The objects on display range from miniature figurines to a reclining woman about four feet long. There’s a head carved from a fossilized sea sponge. Exhibiting all major types of figures and vessels from the past, the exhibition aims to show audiences the major shifts and small variations that Cycladic sculptors brought to their art over a millennium. —Jeanne Malle