sculpture

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Object Type
Museum number: 1784,0131.5
Description: Parian marble. This colossal right foot was once part of a statue of several times life-size, a scale that in antiquity was only used for images of gods and emperors. It wears a sandal of an elaborate Greek type first seen in the fourth century BC. It is therefore likely that the foot belonged to the statue of a senior Olympian god, probably represented seated as a standing figure would have been more than five metres tall.
Cultures/periods
Production date: 1stC-2ndC
Findspot: Found/Acquired: Naples (province) (near)
Materials
Dimensions: Height: 48.26 centimetres; Length: 88.90 centimetres
Curator's comments: Described in register as being foot of Apollo but evidence for this not stated.; Jenkins & Sloan 1996 Presented to the Museum by Sir William in 1784, the sculpture arrived too late to be included in d'Hancarville's manuscript catalogue of 1778. It is one of two sculptures from Sir William's collection drawn by Francesco Progenie, a pupil of Pietro Fabris (See Jenkins & Sloan 1996, no. 44).
Bibliographic references: Sculpture / Catalogue of Greek Sculpture in the British Museum (2109); Jenkins & Sloan 1996 / Vases and Volcanoes - Sir William Hamilton and his collection (133)
Location: On display (G1/od/nr171)
Subjects
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1784
Department: Greek and Roman
Registration number: 1784,0131.5
Conservation: Treatment: 21 Apr 2010; Treatment: 12 Dec 2003

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