2010 - 2012

South metopes of the Parthenon

The need to restore eight metopes from the south side of the Parthenon (metope 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 24) which have survived in a fragmentary state, and the question of how to display them were of central concern to the Museum. Thus, a project was launched aiming to provide a more complete picture of the metopes, based on the sculptures’ proportions and the drawings attributed to J. Carrey (1674); to allow unrestricted viewing of the fragments as much as possible; and to ensure their structural integrity. In executing these goals, it was decided to employ a plexiglass background, onto which the fragments were anchored with a customized system of joinery. In the case of South Metope 16, original ancient fragments were combined with modern casts of original pieces now in the British Museum. Procedures undertaken during the project included cleaning, conservation, study and final arrangement of the thirty-seven fragments into their original positions.

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