Acrolith

Acrolith

In Classical antiquity, an acrolith (Greek etymology: "acros" and "lithos", English translation: "height" or "extremity" and "stone") was a statue in which the trunk of the figure was made of wood, and the extremities (head, hands and feet) of marble. The wood was concealed either by gilding or, more commonly, by drapery, and the marble parts alone were exposed. The similar, earlier, Chryselephantine sculptures used ivory instead of marble, and normally gold on the body. Acroliths are frequently mentioned by Pausanias (100s CE), the best known example being the "Athene Areia" ("Warlike Athena") of the Plataeans.

Examples of acrolithic sculptures

*Athene Areia of the Plataeans
*Colossus of Constantine
*Antinous Mondragone

References

*1911


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  • Acrolith — Ac ro*lith, n. [L. acrolthus, Gr. akroli qos with the ends made of stone; a kros extreme + li qos stone.] (Arch. & Sculp.) A statue whose extremities are of stone, the trunk being generally of wood. Elmes. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • acrolith — [ak′rō lith΄] n. [L acrolithus < Gr akrolithos < akros (see ACRO ) + lithos, stone] in early Greek sculpture, a statue with stone head, hands, and feet, and a wooden trunk …   English World dictionary

  • acrolith — acrolithic, adj. /ak reuh lith/, n. a sculptured figure having the head and extremities of stone and the torso of other material. [1840 50; < L acrolithus < Gk akrólithos. See ACRO , LITH] * * * ▪ sculpture       statue, especially ancient Greek …   Universalium

  • acrolith —    An ancient Greek sculpture in which the head and arms and feet were made of marble or some other stone. Greek for stone ended. At first an acrolith was considered to be a wooden sculpture with marble extremities, and later, a limestone… …   Glossary of Art Terms

  • acrolith — noun An ancient Greek wooden statue with limbs and head of stone …   Wiktionary

  • acrolith — wooden statue with stone extremities Stones and Rocks …   Phrontistery dictionary

  • acrolith — ac·ro·lith …   English syllables

  • acrolith — /ˈækrəlɪθ/ (say akruhlith) noun a sculptured figure having only the head and extremities made of marble or other stone. {Latin acrolithus, from Greek akrolithos} –acrolithic /ækrəˈlɪθɪk/ (say akruh lithik), adjective …  

  • acrolith —   n. statue with wooden trunk and stone head and extremities …   Dictionary of difficult words

  • acrolith — ˈakrəˌlith noun ( s) Etymology: Latin acrolithus, from Greek akrolithos with ends of stone, from akr acr + lithos stone : an acrolithic statue …   Useful english dictionary

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