The bronze Diskos thrower statuette was purchased in October 1907 from Jean Paul Lambros, a collector and archaeologist based in Athens. Lambros was a student of the University of Athens who published articles on ancient Greek numismatics and coinage. The documentation of the purchase, made through the Jacob S Rogers fund, does not specifically reference the Diskos thrower, but does mention a purchase of twenty seven bronzes from the category of classical antiquities. While the statuette was discovered in the Peloponnese region of Greece, it was found by a Greek archaeologist whose collection followed the correct steps for purchase. This is a perfect example of morally right acquisition of a museum, with documentation for each step of the way.
The statuette is missing the left foot and right arm, but the movement of the figure is still prominent. Historians assume the missing arm was held downward, bent at the elbow, with the hand extended. It stands at just nine inches tall and has proportions consistently seen in Ancient Greek depictions of Olympians to resemble strength and sturdiness. While the techniques in regards to the figure's hair is not common in this time period, the assumption is that the sculpture included no line work in order for the hair to be finished with paint. The figure references the most popular olympic game during the time of Ancient Greece, the game of Diskos consists of athletes throwing a metal disk in a specific direction with the farthest disk being the winner. This statuette was created in a transitional time of greek sculpture, happening to be a timeframe which not many artifacts have survived, leaving the Statuette of a Diskos thrower to be exceptionally rare.
The statuette is now seen in gallery room 153 of the Greek and Roman department, but in 2004 was apart of an exhibition dedicated to honoring the 2004 Olympics based off of the Ancient Greek art made for games in Olympia. In terms of connection to the culture of the rest of the world, housing this work of art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art allows for viewers to connect their views of modern Olympic Games to that of its origin at Olympia.
The statuette is missing the left foot and right arm, but the movement of the figure is still prominent. Historians assume the missing arm was held downward, bent at the elbow, with the hand extended. It stands at just nine inches tall and has proportions consistently seen in Ancient Greek depictions of Olympians to resemble strength and sturdiness. While the techniques in regards to the figure's hair is not common in this time period, the assumption is that the sculpture included no line work in order for the hair to be finished with paint. The figure references the most popular olympic game during the time of Ancient Greece, the game of Diskos consists of athletes throwing a metal disk in a specific direction with the farthest disk being the winner. This statuette was created in a transitional time of greek sculpture, happening to be a timeframe which not many artifacts have survived, leaving the Statuette of a Diskos thrower to be exceptionally rare.
The statuette is now seen in gallery room 153 of the Greek and Roman department, but in 2004 was apart of an exhibition dedicated to honoring the 2004 Olympics based off of the Ancient Greek art made for games in Olympia. In terms of connection to the culture of the rest of the world, housing this work of art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art allows for viewers to connect their views of modern Olympic Games to that of its origin at Olympia.
References
“Bronze Diskos Thrower” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/247967#:~:text=This%20superlative%20bronze%20embodies%20the. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
Hemingway, Colette, and Seán Hemingway. “Athletics in Ancient Greece.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Oct 2002. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/athl/hd_athl.htm.
Robinson, Edward. “New Accessions in the Classical Department. II. The Diskos-Thrower.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, vol. 3, no. 2, 1908, pp. 31–36. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3252560. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
Rogers, Jacob S. “Purchases.” Annual Report of the Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, no. 38, 1907, pp. 55–61. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40303242. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
“The Games in Ancient Athens.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 27 Jan. 2012. https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2004/games-in-ancient-athens. Accessed Dec 7. 2023.
“Bronze Diskos Thrower” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/247967#:~:text=This%20superlative%20bronze%20embodies%20the. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
Hemingway, Colette, and Seán Hemingway. “Athletics in Ancient Greece.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Oct 2002. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/athl/hd_athl.htm.
Robinson, Edward. “New Accessions in the Classical Department. II. The Diskos-Thrower.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, vol. 3, no. 2, 1908, pp. 31–36. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3252560. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
Rogers, Jacob S. “Purchases.” Annual Report of the Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, no. 38, 1907, pp. 55–61. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40303242. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
“The Games in Ancient Athens.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 27 Jan. 2012. https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2004/games-in-ancient-athens. Accessed Dec 7. 2023.