A caryatid (Greek: Καρυάτις, plural: Καρυάτιδες) is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese. Karyai had a famous temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis in her aspect of Artemis Karyatis: "As Karyatis she rejoiced in the dances of the nut-tree village of Karyai, those Karyatides, who in their ecstatic round-dance carried on their heads baskets of live reeds, as if they were dancing plants" (Kerenyi 1980 p 149).
One of those original six figures, removed (STOLEN)by Lord Elgin in the early 1800s, is now in the British Museum in London. The Acropolis Museum holds the other five figures, which are replaced onsite by replicas.
A Tuesday educational trip around the world. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI hope they will soon get it back.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting bit of history. Thanks for sharing and I do hope your country gets the statue back. Much like Canada's First Nations have largely had their sacred artifacts repatriated.
ReplyDeleteοπως τα λες είναι S T O L E N !!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteτους έχουμε κάνει βλέπεις μάγγες με τα δικά μας πράγματα και μετά μας σερνουν και τα διάφορα!!!
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