The Acropolis, Athens. 465 B.C.
A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural element such as a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on its head.
Some of the earliest known examples were found in the treasuries of Delphi, dating to about the 6th century BC, but their origins can be traced back even further to ritual basins, ivory mirror handles from Phoenicia, and draped figures from archaic Greece.
The best-known and most-copied examples are those of the six figures of the Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis at Athens.
Our reproduction represents one of them. One of those original six figures, removed by Lord Elgin in the early 1800s, is now in the British Museum in London. The other five figures, although they are damaged by erosion, are in the Acropolis Museum.
The Romans also copied the Erechtheion caryatids, installing copies in the Forum Augustum and the Pantheon in Rome, and Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli.
The male counterpart of a caryatid is referred to as a telamon or Atlas (plural, atlantes) – the name refers to the legend of Atlas, who bore the world on his shoulders.
A caryatid supporting a baskets on her head is called a canephora, representing one of the maidens who carried sacred objects used at feasts of the gods.
It is made from bonded stone with a stone finish and has many intricate details.
Dimensions: 26" H
Weight: 23 lbs.
# G-011S
About Our Museum Replicas
HISTORY OF ART REPRODUCTIONS
The history of art reproductions takes us back to Imperial Rome where bronze and marble reproductions of Greek masterpieces served as decoration for lavish Roman villas and gardens.
The art of casting is thousands of years old: terracottas, bronzes and ancient glass were cast from molds.
Closer to our time in the mid-18th century coinciding with the search for new artistic styles which took inspiration from the roots of classic art (neoclassicism) and the discovery of Herculaneum in 1738 and Pompeii in 1748, archaeological reproductions reappeared all over Europe.
As a result of French expeditions to Egypt during the nineteenth century, a casting facility was set up next to the Louvre Museum where many important archaeological pieces from ancient Egypt were reproduced.
Following the example of the Louvre, other leading European museums began to reproduce some of the masterpieces in their collections thus initiating a trend that continues until today.
OUR WORK
For the making of art reproductions, our company has chosen masterpieces from the best museums all over the world–The Louvre, The British Museum, The National Museum of Athens, The Egyptian Museum at Cairo, The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, etc.
Working to obtain very fine pieces, up to the last detail,we only use materials and techniques that can achieve the best quality in reproducing original works of art.
Our sculptures are cast in a variety of mediums –bonded stone, polyresins, bronze, etc.
The finish of each reproduction, always hand-made and showing craftsmanship and historical sense, is the work of an artisan.
It is the task of our company to present to the people of today the legacy of those ancient civilizations with all the beauty and mystery of our ancestors, again in front of our eyes and at the reach of our hands.
(see linked pictures above)
SCULPTING
Most of our items are original artworks created by our sculptors, carved out of clay, stone, or wood. Here, one of our sculptors carves our T-16 Degas Little Dancer using sculpting clay.
MOLD MAKING
Once the original is carved, a mold is made, usually out of silicon. Here a casting of the Egyptian Goddess Selket is taken from a silicon mold.
CASTING
Crushed stone in a liquid resin medium is poured into a silicon mold where it solidifies into a hard stone that reproduces all the detail and texture of the original.
COLOR DETAILING
All the finishes are done by hand. Many finishes include color detailing, a labor intensive process where colors are applied with small brushes by our skilled artisans.