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large bronze griffin protome on a marble base
£250.00
A griffin head with an elegant serpentine neck extending from an oval collar. He has an open beak and long pointed ears, with a ball and spike 'crest' adorning his brow. This is a copy of an original dating to the 7th century BC which is currently in the museum at Olympia in the province of Elis in the Western Peloponnese.
dimensions: Height including his marble base: 28cm
quantity
about the bronzes in this collection
The bronze pieces are cast in Greece using the traditional lost wax method. As nothing is mass-produced, there will inevitably be slight variations in texture, patina, and colour. No two pieces are ever the same. If mounted on a marble base, it will be a black or very dark grey base. There may be a variation of some millimetres in the dimensions of the base from time to time. It's All Greek is so grateful and so proud to have been working closely with the Semitekolo family foundry since 1999. It has been a privilege and a joy to handle, live with, and photograph these gorgeous pieces and to pass them on to customers all over the world. |
about the griffin
Symbol of wealth and prosperity and guardians of prized possessions. The mythical hybrid griffin had powerful wings, the body of a lion and the beak of an eagle.
Griffins were sacred to Apollo, whose treasure they guarded. They are also associated with Dionysos, as the guardians of his ever-flowing supply of wine.
Bronze cauldrons set on tripods or conical stands were among the most spectacular votive gifts dedicated in Greek sanctuaries from the eighth to the sixth centuries BCE. A cast bronze griffin head, called a protome, often formed part of the decoration of these cauldrons.
Over six hundred such bronze griffin heads are on display in museums all over the world. Many have been found at the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia and at that of Hera on Samos.