Acrolith

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The Antinous Mondragone, the head from an acrolithic cult image of the deified Antinous

An acrolith is a composite sculpture made of stone and other materials, as in the case of a figure whose torso is made of wood, while the head, hands, and feet are made of marble. The wood was concealed either by drapery or by gilding; only the marble parts were exposed to view.[1] This type of statuary was common and widespread in Classical antiquity.

Greek etymology: acros and lithos, English translation: "height" or "extremity" and "stone".

Similarly, chryselephantine sculpture used ivory instead of marble, and often gold on parts of the body and ornaments. Acroliths are frequently mentioned by Pausanias (2nd century CE), the best known example being the Athene Areia ("Warlike Athena") of the Plataeans.[1]

Examples of acrolithic sculptures

References

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Secondary sources

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External links

  • Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons