metope | British Museum

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metope

Object Type
Museum number: 1816,0610.14
Title: Series: The Parthenon Sculptures
Description: Marble metope from the Parthenon (South metope XXX). 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, tramples a crouching Lapith. The Lapith crouches with his left leg bent under him, his left arm rests on a stone. With his right arm he keeps the Centaur at a distance. The Centaur grasps the Lapith’s hair with his left arm, and presses his front left hoof on his right thigh, drawing back his right arm to deal a blow. A feline’s skin floats in the air at the back of the Centaur. A chlamys hangs right from the right arm of the Lapith, and passes behind his back. Missing are the Centaur’s right forearm, front leg and hind leg, and parts of the frame.
Producer name
Cultures/periods
Production date: 447BC-438BC
Production place: Made in: Athens
Findspot: Excavated/Findspot: Parthenon
Materials
Dimensions: Thickness: 128 centimetres
Bibliographic references: Sculpture / Catalogue of Greek Sculpture in the British Museum (319); Smith 1892 / A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum (pp.142-143); Smith 1910 / The sculptures of the Parthenon (p.36, pl.23 (fig.2)); Brommer 1967 / Die Metopen des Parthenon (pp.124-125, pl.229-232); Berger 1986 / Der Parthenon in Basel; Dokumentation zu den Metopen (p.97, pl.108); Choremi-Spetsieri 2004 / The Sculptures of the Parthenon: Acropolis, British Museum, Louvre (p.89, fig.53)
Location: On display (G18)
Subjects: centaur; centauromachy; lapith
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1816
Department: Greek and Roman
Registration number: 1816,0610.14
Additional IDs: Miscellaneous number: South Metope XXX