chryselephantine

chryselephantine krĭs˝ĕləfăn´tĭn, –tīn [key], Greek sculptural technique developed in the 6th cent. BC Sculptures, especially temple colossi, were made with an inner core of wood overlaid with ivory, to simulate flesh, and gold, to represent drapery. The great Parthenon Athena, now lost, was chryselephantine.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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