metope

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Object Type: metope
Museum number: 1816,0610.13
Title: Series: The Parthenon Sculptures
Description: Marble metope from the Parthenon (South metope XXIX). 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 left, carries off a struggling Lapith girl. He clasps her firmly round the waist with his left hand, he has raised her from the ground. The girl tries with her left hand to loosen his hold round her waist. She wears a chiton, exposing her left shoulder and breast, and her chlamys floats behind the Centaur. The centaur has a satyr-like face with pointed ears. The girl’s head, left arm and part of her right foot are missing, as are the Centaur’s right arm, hind right leg, front right leg and tail, and parts of the frame.
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: 126 centimetres
Bibliographic references: Sculpture / Catalogue of Greek Sculpture in the British Museum (318); Smith 1892 / A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum (p.142); Smith 1910 / The sculptures of the Parthenon (p.36, pl.23 (fig.1)); Brommer 1967 / Die Metopen des Parthenon (pp.122-123, pl.224-228); Berger 1986 / Der Parthenon in Basel; Dokumentation zu den Metopen (p.96, pl.106-107); Choremi-Spetsieri 2004 / The Sculptures of the Parthenon: Acropolis, British Museum, Louvre (p.87, fig.52)
Location: On display (G18)
Subjects: centaur
Associated objects: mould (CRM.1199); cast (CRM.1198)
Acquisition name: Purchased from: Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin
Acquisition date: 1816
Department: Greek and Roman
Registration number: 1816,0610.13
Additional IDs: Miscellaneous number: South Metope XXIX

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