metope

Please enable JavaScript in your web browser to get the best experience.

Object Type
Museum number: 1816,0610.10
Title: Series: The Parthenon Sculptures
Description: Marble metope from the Parthenon (South metope XXVI). This metope is from the eastern half of the south side of the temple. The South metopes in the British Museum show the battle between Centaurs and Lapiths at the marriage-feast of Peirithoos. A Centaur, on the right, rearing up to strike a Lapith, has raised his arms above his head. The Lapith thrusts his left foot against the equine chest of the Centaur and presses his left hand against the Centaur’s right elbow. A chlamys hangs down at the Lapith’s back. On the left upper arm are two holes for the attachment of metal decoration. There is another attachment hole on the flank of the Centaur. Parts of the right hind leg appear to have been attached by metal rivets. The Lapith’s head and right arm, the Centaur’s left foreleg, left hind foreleg, left arm and right hand and parts of the frame are missing. Plaster drapery possibly was added to the roughly worked patch of the background between the Lapith’s raised arm and leg.
Producer name
Cultures/periods
Production date: 447BC-438BC
Production place: Made in: Athens
Findspot: Excavated/Findspot: Parthenon
Materials
Dimensions: Thickness: 137 centimetres
Curator's comments: This scene is comparable with the scene on South metope XXXI.
Bibliographic references: Sculpture / Catalogue of Greek Sculpture in the British Museum (315); Smith 1892 / A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum (pp.140-141); Smith 1910 / The sculptures of the Parthenon (p.35, pl.21 (fig.2)); Brommer 1967 / Die Metopen des Parthenon (pp.115-116, pl.211-215); Berger 1986 / Der Parthenon in Basel; Dokumentation zu den Metopen (p.94, pl.98-99); Choremi-Spetsieri 2004 / The Sculptures of the Parthenon: Acropolis, British Museum, Louvre (p.81, fig.49)
Location: On display (G18)
Subjects: centaur; centauromachy; lapith
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1816
Department: Greek and Roman
Registration number: 1816,0610.10
Additional IDs: Miscellaneous number: South Metope XXVI
Conservation

Free entry

Opening hours