Acrolithic

/ækrəˈlɪθɪk/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or describing a sculpture in which the head, hands, and feet are stone while the body is made of wood or other material.

Etymology

From acrolith + the suffix '-ic'. This adjective form directly describes the artistic technique of combining stone with less expensive materials in statue-making.

Kelly Says

Greek sculptors used this technique brilliantly—even though we can't see the wooden bodies anymore after 2,500 years, the surviving marble heads prove their incredible skill at facial carving!

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