Chryselephantine sculpture
Indeed, in times of prosperity, up to six solid gold Nikae were cast,[citation needed] serving as a "sacred treasury" whose safety was ensured by the sanctity accorded to a cult object, as well as the presence of priestesses, priests, and maintenance staff at the temple.In this context, it describes statuettes with skin of ivory and clothing and other details made of other materials, such as gold, bronze, marble, silver, or onyx.For instance, circa 1840 the sculptor Pierre-Charles Simart produced a copy in ivory and gold, based on ancient descriptions, of the Athena Parthenos of Phidias for patron Honoré Théodoric d'Albert de Luynes.After the 1890s, reflecting the change that Simart and some sculptors had already embraced, the meaning of chryselephantine was extended to include any statue fashioned in a combination of ivory with other materials.A number of other European sculptors also produced chryselephantine pieces, among them Joé Descomps, Josef Lorenzl, Georges Omerth, Claire J. R. Colinet, Pierre Le Faguays, D. H. Chiparus, Bruno Zach, and Dominique Alonzo.
ArchaicDelphi Archaeological MuseumAncient Greekcult statuesAncient Greecegold leafglass pasteprecioussemi-precious stonesPalaikastro KourosArchaic KourosMinoanPalaikastrocult imageacrolithiticmodularbullionPhidiasAthena ParthenosApolloClassicalParthenonAthensseated statueOlympiaSeven Wonders of the Ancient WorldDamophonMessenePausaniasDelphifull-scale reproduction of the ParthenonArt NouveaubronzemarblesilverPierre-Charles SimartHonoré Théodoric d'Albert de LuynesAlan LeQuiremodern reproduction of the ParthenonNashville, TennesseeFerdinand PreissFranz IfflandJoé DescompsJosef LorenzlClaire J. R. ColinetPierre Le FaguaysD. H. ChiparusBruno ZachArt in ancient GreeceClassical sculptureRam in a Thicket