marble statue of the winged Nike of Samothrace

The iconic statue of the Winged Victory was carved in marble from the Cycladic island of Paros ca 220-185 BCE.

The sculptor represents the goddess at the exact moment where she touches down on the prow of a ship, to mark the moment of maritime victory. The prow itself is carved of grey Lartos marble, which would have made a striking contrast with the glistening bright white Parian marble of Nike herself. She is 2.75 metres tall, the base about 2 metres high. The base isn't just any old boat, but a Hellenistic fast, light warship favoured by the inhabitants of Rhodes.

She was discovered in 1863 by a French diplomat visiting the island of Samothrace in the north Aegean Sea. She was unrecognisable, in 110 fragments of marble. The head has never been found. Her left wing survived almost intact, the right destroyed, so what you see in the Louvre is a plaster cast mirror copy of the original left wing. Imagine how she must originally have looked as you approached the island by sea!

Since 1884 she has been on display in the Louvre. She stands at the top of the grand Daru staircase in the Denon wing. The way she is displayed mirrors beautifully the her original setting on the island, namely carved to be viewed from below at a three-quarter angle from her left side, which is exactly the maximum impact perspective you get as you walk up those steps.

Her drapery is a wonderful example of the 'wet drapery' technique in Classical sculpture, whereby heavy marble is carved in such a way that you might think that the fabric clinging to the anatomy below is soaked with water, as though she is windswept and sprayed by the foam from the sea. She wears the traditional Greek chiton tunic, its apperance gossamer thin so that you can see her elegant and athletic form very clearly beneath.

She is one of very few major Hellenistic statues to survive in the original marble, rather than in Roman copies.

Nike, winged goddess of victory and achievement, both in war and in peaceful competition. She is also the goddess of speed and strength. Her Roman equivalent is Victoria. She was daughter of Pallas and the river Styx, and the grand-daughter of Okeanos (Ocean). Her siblings were Zelos (Rivalry), Kratos (Strength) and Bia (Force). She had no husband and no children.

Her close connection with Zeus and Athena (sometimes she even holds an owl, Athena's attribute) is reflected in sculpture and on coins, and she is often depicted holding an olive wreath which she will place on the head of a victor. The sports company takes its name and logo from her.

Nike represents the archetype of the virgin goddess: free of any expectation to bear children, and therefore having the freedom to excel in other ways.

It's All Greek's capsule marble collection is made in the UK in cast Carrara marble. The beautiful white marble of Carrara in Tuscany was used for the Pantheon in ancient Rome and was a favourite of Michelangelo.

The sculptures are created using a process of dry casting, so that each sculpture contains over 90% marble. They glisten!

The high quality is such that there will be no discoloration - other than natural patination and ageing - especially if the pieces are placed outdoors.