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Chryselephantine sculpture

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280: 31: 189: 260:. Pausanias also described Phidias's statue of Zeus at Olympia. Here, some of the clay moulds for parts of Zeus's garments made of glass or glass-paste have been discovered in the building known as the "Workshop of Phidias". They are the only finds directly associated with the great sculptor's most famous works and thus provide useful information on their creation. 251:
Due to the high value of some of the materials used and the perishable nature of others, most chryselephantine statues were destroyed during antiquity and the Middle Ages. For example, of the statue of Athena Parthenos, only the hole that held its central wooden support survives today in the floor of
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was made from solid gold with this very purpose in mind. Indeed, in times of prosperity, up to six solid gold Nikae were cast, serving as a "sacred treasury" whose safety was ensured by the sanctity accorded to a cult object, as well as the presence of priestesses, priests, and maintenance staff at
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Chryselephantine statues were not only intended to be visually striking; they also displayed the wealth and cultural achievements of those who constructed them or financed their construction. The creation of such a statue involved skills in sculpture, carpentry, jewellery, and ivory-carving. Once
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The origins of the technique are obscure. There are known examples, from the 2nd millennium BC, of composite sculptures made of ivory and gold from areas that became part of the Greek world, most famously the so-called
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completed, the statues required constant maintenance. It is known that at Olympia, skilled personnel were employed to ensure the upkeep of the Zeus statue. In the second century BC, the prominent sculptor
341:. The result was somewhat disappointing: "... it cost Luynes a hundred thousand francs to prove that Simart was not Phidias." Another 19th-century version of this figure by American sculptor 263:
Few examples of chryselephantine sculpture have been found. The most prominent surviving examples are fragments of several smaller than life-sized burnt statues from the
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statues, with marble heads and extremities and a wooden trunk either gilded or covered in drapery, were a comparable technique used for cult images.
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became well known for their chryselephantine sculptures. A number of other European sculptors also produced chryselephantine pieces, among them
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The technique was normally used for cult statues within temples; typically, they were greater than life-sized. Construction was
305:. In this context, it describes statuettes with skin of ivory and clothing and other details made of other materials, such as 507: 233: 441: 172:
in times of severe financial hardship, to be replaced later when finances had recovered. For example, the figure of
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that has survived. It is, however, not clear whether the Greek chryselephantine tradition is connected with these.
529: 476:"... il en coûta cent mille francs au duc de Luynes pour prouver que Simart ne fut pas Phidias." Boissieu 1869:260. 17: 353:. After the 1890s, reflecting the change that Simart and some sculptors had already embraced, the meaning of 197: 39: 534: 221: 253: 257: 409: 357:
was extended to include any statue fashioned in a combination of ivory with other materials.
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is also used for a style of sculpture fairly common in 19th-century European art, especially
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her temple. The appearance of the statue is nevertheless known from a number of miniature
8: 414: 133: 125: 503: 437: 385: 271:. It is not known whom they depict, although they are assumed to represent deities. 100:
Chryselephantine statues were built around a wooden frame with thin carved slabs of
502:(1st ed.). Woodbridge, England: Antique Collectors' Club Ltd. pp. 1–398. 419: 389: 361: 330: 285: 205: 181: 173: 229: 113: 369: 192:
Fragments of a burnt chryselephantine statue thought by some scholars to depict
381: 264: 154: 89: 50: 35: 523: 373: 365: 212:: the 13-metre tall (43 ft) standing statue of Athena Parthenos in the 342: 279: 108:
representing the garments, armour, hair, and other details. In some cases,
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produced a copy in ivory and gold, based on ancient descriptions, of the
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discovered in Athens, as well as from a detailed description by
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Chryselephantine statuary in the ancient Mediterranean world
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were used for detail such as eyes, jewellery, and weaponry.
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Chryselephantine sculpture became widespread during the
65: 53: 34:Gold and fire-blackened ivory fragments of a burnt 521: 104:attached, representing the flesh, and sheets of 27:Ancient Greek sculpture made with gold and ivory 360:In the early 20th century, German sculptors 76:, 'ivory') is a sculpture made with 204:The two best-known examples, both from the 146:BC. It is likely the only enshrined Minoan 325:. For instance, circa 1840 the sculptor 291:full-scale reproduction of the Parthenon 278: 187: 29: 465:The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 431: 14: 522: 497: 491: 347:modern reproduction of the Parthenon 467:, Spring 2012 Volume LXIX, Number 4 436:. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 339:Honoré Théodoric d'Albert de Luynes 95: 24: 274: 234:Seven Wonders of the Ancient World 25: 551: 220:, and the 12-metre (39 ft) 432:Lapatin, Kenneth D. S. (2001). 293:in the U.S. state of Tennessee. 248:was commissioned to repair it. 128:" (not to be confused with the 479: 470: 453: 208:period, are those sculpted by 13: 1: 425: 140: 461:Art of the Aegean Bronze Age 198:Delphi Archaeological Museum 72: 60: 40:Delphi Archaeological Museum 7: 403: 10: 556: 500:Art Deco and Other Figures 176:held in the right hand of 66: 54: 47:Chryselephantine sculpture 38:chryselephantine statue ( 232:, considered one of the 530:Ancient Greek sculpture 88:enjoyed high status in 498:Catley, Bryan (1978). 294: 267:period, discovered at 201: 64:, 'gold', and 43: 486:Art Nouveau Sculpture 410:Art in ancient Greece 327:Pierre-Charles Simart 282: 191: 33: 382:Claire J. R. Colinet 351:Nashville, Tennessee 283:Reproduction of the 118:semi-precious stones 415:Classical sculpture 84:. Chryselephantine 535:Ivory works of art 488:, Alastair Duncan. 295: 202: 126:Palaikastro Kouros 44: 509:978-1-85149-382-1 459:Hemingway, Seán, 386:Pierre Le Faguays 228:in the temple at 16:(Redirected from 547: 514: 513: 495: 489: 483: 477: 474: 468: 457: 447: 420:Ram in a Thicket 398:Dominique Alonzo 362:Ferdinand Preiss 355:chryselephantine 331:Athena Parthenos 299:chryselephantine 286:Athena Parthenos 182:Athena Parthenos 145: 142: 96:Ancient examples 75: 69: 68: 63: 57: 56: 21: 18:Chryselephantine 555: 554: 550: 549: 548: 546: 545: 544: 520: 519: 518: 517: 510: 496: 492: 484: 480: 475: 471: 458: 454: 444: 428: 406: 277: 275:Modern examples 157:period. Later, 143: 132:statues), from 98: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 553: 543: 542: 537: 532: 516: 515: 508: 490: 478: 469: 451: 450: 449: 448: 442: 427: 424: 423: 422: 417: 412: 405: 402: 390:D. H. Chiparus 378:Georges Omerth 345:stands in the 276: 273: 130:Archaic Kouros 97: 94: 90:Ancient Greece 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 552: 541: 538: 536: 533: 531: 528: 527: 525: 511: 505: 501: 494: 487: 482: 473: 466: 462: 456: 452: 445: 443:0-19-815311-2 439: 435: 430: 429: 421: 418: 416: 413: 411: 408: 407: 401: 399: 395: 391: 387: 383: 379: 375: 374:Josef Lorenzl 371: 367: 366:Franz Iffland 363: 358: 356: 352: 348: 344: 340: 336: 332: 328: 324: 320: 316: 312: 308: 304: 300: 292: 288: 287: 281: 272: 270: 266: 261: 259: 255: 254:marble copies 249: 247: 243: 237: 235: 231: 227: 223: 222:seated statue 219: 215: 211: 207: 199: 195: 190: 186: 183: 179: 175: 171: 167: 162: 160: 156: 151: 149: 138: 135: 131: 127: 121: 119: 115: 112:, glass, and 111: 107: 103: 93: 91: 87: 83: 79: 74: 62: 52: 48: 41: 37: 32: 19: 499: 493: 485: 481: 472: 464: 460: 455: 433: 370:Joé Descomps 359: 354: 343:Alan LeQuire 298: 296: 284: 262: 250: 238: 203: 185:the temple. 163: 159:acrolithitic 152: 122: 99: 86:cult statues 73:elephántinos 46: 45: 540:Cult images 337:for patron 303:Art Nouveau 144: 1450 137:Palaikastro 110:glass paste 67:ελεφάντινος 524:Categories 426:References 394:Bruno Zach 148:cult image 297:The term 258:Pausanias 214:Parthenon 206:Classical 106:gold leaf 404:See also 242:Damophon 114:precious 335:Phidias 289:in the 265:Archaic 246:Messene 230:Olympia 210:Phidias 178:Phidias 170:bullion 166:modular 155:Archaic 61:chrysós 36:Archaic 506:  463:, 31, 440:  396:, and 319:silver 315:marble 311:bronze 269:Delphi 218:Athens 194:Apollo 134:Minoan 55:χρυσός 49:(from 321:, or 102:ivory 82:ivory 51:Greek 504:ISBN 438:ISBN 364:and 323:onyx 307:gold 226:Zeus 174:Nike 116:and 80:and 78:gold 349:in 333:of 244:of 224:of 216:at 180:'s 526:: 400:. 392:, 388:, 384:, 380:, 376:, 372:, 317:, 313:, 309:, 236:. 141:c. 139:, 92:. 70:, 58:, 512:. 446:. 200:) 196:( 124:" 42:) 20:)

Index

Chryselephantine

Archaic
Delphi Archaeological Museum
Greek
gold
ivory
cult statues
Ancient Greece
ivory
gold leaf
glass paste
precious
semi-precious stones
Palaikastro Kouros
Archaic Kouros
Minoan
Palaikastro
cult image
Archaic
acrolithitic
modular
bullion
Nike
Phidias
Athena Parthenos

Apollo
Delphi Archaeological Museum
Classical

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