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metope
Object Type
metope
Museum number
1816,0610.1
Title
Series:
The Parthenon Sculptures
Description
Marble metope from the Parthenon (South metope II). The South metopes in The British Museum show the battle between Centaurs and Lapiths at the marriage-feast of Peirithoos. A Lapith stands in front of a Centaur, kneeling on the Centaur’s back and clasping his throat with his left hand. The Centaur, facing right, has been thrown on his right foreleg, his head is forced back and his mouth wide open. The fingers of his right hand grasp the right shoulder of the Lapith. A chlamys hangs over the Lapith’s left arm and behind his back. The Centaur’s left arm and right foreleg and the Lapith’s head and right arm are missing. Parts of the frame are restored.
Producer name
Designed by:
Pheidias
Cultures/periods
Classical Greek
Production date
447BC-438BC
Production place
Made in:
Athens
Findspot
Excavated/Findspot:
Parthenon
Materials
marble
Dimensions
Thickness:
127 centimetres
Curator's comments
This includes the right foreleg of a centaur formerly catalogued Sculpture 342.15.
Bibliographic references
Sculpture / Catalogue of Greek Sculpture in the British Museum
(305)
Smith 1892 / A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum
(p.133)
Smith 1910 / The sculptures of the Parthenon
(p.30, pl.16 (fig.1))
Brommer 1967 / Die Metopen des Parthenon
(pp.77-78, pl.164-167)
Berger 1986 / Der Parthenon in Basel; Dokumentation zu den Metopen
(p.83, pl.73, 76-77)
Choremi-Spetsieri 2004 / The Sculptures of the Parthenon: Acropolis, British Museum, Louvre
(p.50, fig.24)
Location
On display
(G18)
Subjects
centaur
centauromachy
lapith
Acquisition name
Purchased from:
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin
Donated by:
Léon Jean Joseph Dubois
(fragment)
Acquisition date
1816
Department
Greek and Roman
Registration number
1816,0610.1
Additional IDs
Miscellaneous number:
South Metope II
Conservation
Treatment
: 05 Mar 2008