Caryatis Statue

Caryatis statue.A wonderful souvenir ,handmade of alabaster,and painted in museum aging patina.

Erechtheion and its daughters caryatides

Caryatides are standing still,for centuries at The Erechtheion or Erechtheum .  Which is an ancient Greek temple ,built on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece . The temple was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon. The sculptor and mason of the structure was Phidias..Some have suggested that it may have been built in honor of the legendary king Erechtheus, who is said to have been buried nearby. Erechtheus was mentioned in Homer’s Iliad as a great king and ruler of Athens during the Archaic Period.

On the north side, there is another large porch with six Ionic columns.  And on the south, the famous “Porch of the Maidens”, with six draped female figures (caryatids) as supporting columns.  One of those original six figures, removed by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, is now in the British Museum    . The Acropolis Museum holds the other five figures, which are replaced onsite by replicas. The five originals that are in Athens are now being exhibited in the new Acropolis Museum, on a special balcony that allows visitors to view them from all sides. These statues hold a special place in the world’s ancient history.  That is the reason many souvenir gifts are made in their form and image.  Like this wonderful  Caryatis statue.

Ancient usage of Caryatides

Some of the earliest known examples were found in the treasuries of Delphi, including that of Siphnos.  However, their use as supports in the form of women can be traced back even earlier, to ritual basins, from archaic Greece.The best-known and most-copied examples are those of the six figures of the Caryatides  porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis at Athens.  The pedestal for the caryatid removed to London remains empty. From 2011 to 2015, they were cleaned by a specially constructed laser beam, which removed accumulated soot and grime without harming the marble’s patina. Each caryatid was cleaned in place, with a television circuit relaying the spectacle live to museum visitors.

Although of the same height and build, and similarly attired and coiffed, the six Caryatides are not the same.  Their faces, stance, draping, and hair are carved separately.  The three on the left stand on their right foot, while the three on the right stand on their left foot.  Their bulky, intricately arranged hairstyles serve the crucial purpose of providing static support to their necks.  Which would otherwise be the thinnest and structurally weakest part.