The Didyma Sculptures: statue
- Gallery: Room 13
- Culture: East Greek
- Date: 600BC-580BC (circa)
- Object type: statue
- Materials: marble
- Museum number: 1859,1226.10
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
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About this object
This is "The Didyma Sculptures: statue," an over-life-sized marble statue of a youth from East Greek culture, made around 600 to 580 BCE. The figure sits with hands resting on the knees, dressed in a sleeved Ionic chiton and a draped mantle that crosses over the shoulders. The statue is carved in smooth, flat planes, with very subtle fold details in the drapery, marking a transition to more naturalistic styles in ancient Greek art.
The youth’s face is partially worn, with a flat nose and only traces of eyes and mouth remaining. His thick, rounded features and carefully arranged hair suggest a formal, idealized representation. The throne beneath is plain and unfinished, hinting at its original placement in a sacred space.
The statue was excavated from the Sacred Way at Didyma, and acquired by the museum through Sir Charles Thomas Newton. Its original interpretation as female has since been reevaluated.
See it in person
The Didyma Sculptures: statue is on display in Room 13 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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