Demeter of Knidos: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Marble_Statue_of_Demeter.jpg|thumb|250px|The Demeter of Knidos]] |
[[Image:Marble_Statue_of_Demeter.jpg|thumb|250px|The Demeter of Knidos]] |
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The '''Demeter of Knidos''' is a life-size, seated ancient Greek statue that was discovered in the port of [[ |
The '''Demeter of Knidos''' is a life-size, seated ancient Greek statue that was discovered in the port of [[Knidos]], south-west Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). Now part of the [[British Museum]]'s collection, it is major example of [[Hellenistic]] sculpture from around 350BC.<ref>British Museum Collection [http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/m/marble_statue_of_demeter.aspx]</ref></blockquote>. |
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==Description== |
==Description== |
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Revision as of 21:55, 26 November 2013
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2013) |
The Demeter of Knidos is a life-size, seated ancient Greek statue that was discovered in the port of Knidos, south-west Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). Now part of the British Museum's collection, it is major example of Hellenistic sculpture from around 350BC.[1].
Description
The statue is made of marble and is approximately 150 centimetres (4 ft 11 in) high. The goddess is seated on a throne and while parts of it are in excellent condition, the back and arm-rails of the throne, as well as her lower arms and hands are missing. The head was carved independently from the body and socketed into the neck. Demeter is depicted in a serene, timeless manner, that unveils her motherly role in the Greek pantheon of gods.
Sanctuary of Demeter
Demeter was the goddess of fertility; she governed the cycle of the seasons and the growing of grain. She was also associated with the Underworld and at Knidos was worshipped together with other infernal deities, including Hades and her own daughter Persephone.
The Sanctuary of Demeter at Knidos was laid out at about the same time as the re-founding of the city, around 350 BC. The sanctuary consisted of a long platform terraced into the side of an acropolis, with spectacular views of the city below and the sea beyond. Many votive sculptures were once displayed within the sanctuary. Most of these survive only as fragments, but this cult statue of Demeter herself is remarkably intact.
Discovery
The Demeter of Knidos was excavated by the British archaeologist Sir Charles Newton and was almost immediately sent to London to become part of the British Museum's Ancient Greek and Roman collection.
References
Further reading
- B. Ashmole, 'Demeter of Cnidus', Journal of Hellenic Studies-1, 71 (1951), pp. 13-28