The Marion Kouros
- Gallery: Room 15
- Culture: East Greek
- Made in: Greece
- Date: 520BC-510BC
- Object type: statue
- Materials: marble
- Museum number: 1887,0801.1
- 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.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is "The Marion Kouros," a statue carved from parian marble by an East Greek artist around 520 to 510 BC. What you're seeing is the upper portion of a standing youth, preserved from the neck down to just below the knees. Though the head and lower legs are missing, this statue offers a striking example of early Greek sculpture.
The youth stands facing forward, balanced on both feet, his arms once extended at his sides with bent forearms reaching toward his thighs. His body is meticulously carved, with particular attention to anatomical details—notice the pronounced collarbones, narrow waist, and the strong outlines of his ribs and thighs. His physique is a blend of youthful softness and structural strength, giving him a lifelike presence.
Carved with a polished finish, this kouros is a rare and important example of East Greek artistry and is thought to have once stood in a funerary context. It was found at Marion-Arsinoe on Cyprus—a discovery that continues to enrich our understanding of ancient Greek sculpture and its regional variations.
See it in person
The Marion Kouros is on display in Room 15 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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