Description
- Professional packing - Free Tracking Number Dimensions (approximately) Height: 4.13in - 10.5cm Weight: 3.14in - 8cm Weight: 161gr The Sphinx of Naxos, also Sphinx of the Naxians, now in the Archaeological Museum of Delphi, is a 2.22-meter tall marble statue of a sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a woman, the chest & wings composed of the impressive feathers of a prey bird turned upward, & the body of a lioness. The Sphinx stood on a 10 meters column that culminated in one of the first Ionic capitals & was erected next to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, the religious center of Ancient Greece, in 560 BCE. The first fragments were excavated from the sanctuary of the Temple of Apollo in 1860. The remainder was found in 1893. It was originally set up on a stele around 560 BC as an offering to the Temple of Apollo by Naxos, one of the richest Cycladic islands at the time. The overall height of the statue, the column, & its base topped 12.5 meters. The Greek sphinx, a lion with the face of a human female, was considered as having ferocious strength & was thought of as a guardian, often flanking the entrances to temples. Sphinxes depictions are generally associated with architectural structures such as royal tombs or religious temples. The famous Sphinx of the Naxians stood on a column that culminated in an Ionic capital. The statue of this mythical creature stood on a towering Ionic column, which may have been the oldest Ionic construction project on the site of the Oracle of Delphi. Her statue had been set up close to the Halos, the most sacred spot of Delphi, where Apollo had presumably killed the python. According to tradition & its mythological representation, the Sphinx had the face of a woman bearing an enigmatic smile, prey bird wings, & the body of a lioness. It was carved from a large piece of Naxian marble. The solid construction combined elements that gave the statue a character of motion & vitality, such are the details that depict the hair, chest, & wings. It is also notable because it is an early example of carving in-the-round, as opposed to relief carving that was common during that time. The monument was made entirely of marble & reached 12.45 meters in height. The monument created awe to the visitors & constituted a typical example of Naxian sculpture in its peak period, i.e. in the sixth century B.C. On the base there was an inscription dated to 328-327 B.C., renewing the romantic for the Naxians: Delphi accorded the Naxians the right of Promanteia as before, at the time of archon Theolytos & Epigenes the Bouleutes CastAlabaster Material: Cast Alabaster is a natural crushed stone that gives the feeling of marble, it's a solid material water-resistant. Our Alabaster statues were first made in a mold & finished by hand, for more attention to detail & unique surfacing. We ship worldwide from Greece, 1-3 Business days after payment, (doesn't include Saturday, Sunday, or holidays). ESTIMATED SHIPPING TIME [After Postal date]
