ANCIENT CARVED IVORIES 29 



gold and ivory statues of Zeus at Olympia and of Athena 

 Parthenos in the Parthenon at Athens, both executed by the 

 immortal Phidias in the fifth century B.C. The Athena was 

 about 40 feet high, the face, hands, and feet being of ivory, as 

 well as the Medusa's head at her side. On her hand she 

 bore an ivory Nike, or Victory, over 6 feet in height. These 

 and other similar though less stupendous works, such as the 

 statue of Hera at Argos, the work of Polykletus and that of 

 Asklepios at Epidaurus, made by Thrasymedes, all prove 

 that ivory was regarded by the Greeks as of the very highest 

 value and importance in art. 



In Rome also the beautiful artistic effects to be attained 

 by using this material made it a favourite one with art 

 workers. While the immense statues of the Greek gods 

 have passed away leaving no trace behind, we have from 

 Roman times a number of precious relics of a characteristic 

 use of ivory. These are the consular diptychs and those of 

 certain distinguished private citizens, made of two panels 

 of ivory, hinged on one of their sides so that they could be 

 folded together; these diptychs were at once memorials of 

 events and art works of great beauty. At a much later 

 period, in Christian times, three panels were hinged together 

 forming a triptych, and sometimes there was a central panel 

 having two or more others attached at either side, so that 

 when set upright, with the side panels bent inward at differ- 

 ent angles, a small enclosed space was formed wherein might 

 be placed a precious relic or a statuette of a saint. 



Of the Roman consular diptychs very nearly fifty have 

 been preserved for us, in whole or in part, and these date 

 from the middle of the third century to the middle of the 

 sixth century A. D.; probably some of those of which we 

 have no specimens belonged to the first or second century. 

 One of the earliest now extant, that of Rufius Probianus, 

 now in Berlin, constitutes the covers of a manuscript relating 



