Gilt and ivory statue of Zeus – Reconstructed with a faithful copy

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It includes all the detailed decoration and performances that the traveler Pausanias clearly describes in his “Iliaka”. It is presented in an exhibition in the center of Ancient Olympia.

The golden ivory statue of Zeusone of the 7 wonders of antiquity, was reconstructed in exquisite detail and its authenticity Kotsana Museum of Ancient Greek Technology. As the museum’s announcement informs, this reconstruction is being done for the first time worldwide. After three years of systematic research, study and construction, with absolute documentation, based on the existing bibliographical and archaeological sources, the statue of Zeus was constructed by the founder of the museum.

The ivory statue is presented in the exhibition “THE TWO GODS” which includes the Colossus of Rhodes and is part of a wider exhibition entitled: “The 7 Wonders of Antiquity”. The exhibition will operate for three months, from July 1 to September 30, 2022, in an exhibition space on G. Douma Street, in the center of Ancient Olympia. It is noted that entry to the exhibition will be free for the public until Sunday, July 10, 2022, the day of the official opening.

The statue was made by Phidias, the greatest sculptor of antiquity, in 430 BC, as the cult statue of the temple of the same name in Ancient Olympia. The enthroned god is represented according to the ancient coins of Elis, which faithfully capture his form, while his overall and individual dimensions (to scale) correspond to those preserved by Callimachus and are consistent with the archaeological findings of his base. The reconstructed statue includes all the detailed decoration and performances clearly described by the traveler Pausanias in his “Iliaks”.

A total of one hundred and seventy-three figures that adorn the base, the footstool and the throne of Zeus, bear the “serpentine” characteristics and are sometimes based on Roman copies of the statue’s forms and sometimes on corresponding sculptures of the time of its construction.

RES-EMP

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