Commentary Prepared by Dr. Julia Lenaghan, Ashmolean Museum

A 063
Head of Centaur (P); Olympia West Pediment

Marble (Parian)
Pedimental Figure
H 60 cm

From the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus. The head was found in 1877 ca. 39.5 m to the south-west of the temple.
Greece, Olympia, Olympia Museum
ca. 460 BC; Early Classical

Preservation:
Preserved are two joining fragments of the head and a small section of the chest with a part of the right shoulder. The smaller fragment consists of the upper section of the face from the eyes on and the forehead with the frontal part of the cranium. Larger sections are missing along the breaks; most of the nose and left eye has gone. The upper lip and tip of the nose are heavily abraded. The entire surface is worn and scored along the breaks, especially on the left side.

Description:
The head is lowered and turned to the right. It belongs to a centaur biting into the arm of another figure that is holding him around the neck. The centaur has long unkempt hair and a beard that is reaching down his chest. The individual strands of the beard are incised and divided in two, whereas most of the locks of hair show a simpler form There are two deep oval sockets with a dowel hole on both sides of the head. The back of the head is only roughly picked. The forehead is deeply furrowed over a distorted face. There are deep crow’s feet next to both eyes.

Discussion:
The head belongs to the statue of centaur who is attacked by a Lapith youth (A 64). Substantial fragments of their bodies are preserved to give a clear impression of the action. The Lapith is closely holding the centaur around his neck with his right arm and forcing him on his knees. The centaur is trying to remove the Lapith’s arm with both his hands and biting in it. The strain of the action and the pain inflicted show vividly in the centaur’s deeply contracted face. His long animal’s ears were originally added separately.

Bibliography:
G. Treu, Die Bildwerke in Stein und Thon (= Olympia III) (Berlin 1895) 82-84; 111 figs. 134-135 pls. 28.2; 29.1 This is the thorough original publication providing details on findspot, preservation etc.
B. Ashmole and N. Yalouris, Olympia. The Sculptures of the Temple of Zeus (London 1967) 19; 179 pls. 82; 86-87; 89 A valuable and richly illustrated discussion including new fragments.