February 27, 2006
Casts of Parthenon Marbles for auction
On 28th February, Sothebys are holding an auction of plaster casts from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Amongst the items for sale are three casts of sculptures from the Parthenon. These comprise Lot 76 – a Metope, Lot 105 – Metope fragments & Lot 169 – Two frieze panels.
This auction is interesting, as museums generally only very rarely deaccession items from their collections. In the case of many British museums, their charters expressly forbid them from doing so. The fact that the items are being sold suggests that they are probably in poor condition now.
From:
Artnet
Art Market Watch
Feb. 27, 2006MET AUCTIONS PLASTER CASTS
After more than 100 years in the Metropolitan Museum collection, nearly 200 19th-century plaster casts of classical sculptures and architectural details go on the block at Sotheby’s New York on Feb. 28, 2006. On view in a special study gallery at the Met until the 1950s, the casts are now in a state of fashionable dishabille — and are being offered without reserve. Who might want them? Decorators, perhaps, or collectors with an empty hall or two. Among the items are casts from the pediments of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, reliefs from the Parthenon and the Pergamon Altar and the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris.[…]
- UC Berkeley in California displays Parthenon Frieze casts : May 10, 2011
- Your chance to buy a (fairly convincing) copy of the Parthenon Frieze : October 8, 2012
- How should the Parthenon Frieze be displayed? : April 20, 2008
- Parthenon frieze casts to undergo restoration : September 16, 2008
- Your chance to purchase a historic cast of the Parthenon frieze : December 10, 2013
- Plaster replicas of Parthenon frieze used as teaching tools at Herron School of Art & Design : March 4, 2013
- Staten Island’s Parthenon Frieze replica : January 7, 2008
- Students restore casts of Parthenon Sculptures : January 18, 2007
Tim Pond said,
06.23.15 at 1:47 pm
I have 2 pieces in plaster that are direct copies from the parthenon I think that were created by the V and A museum. I have sometimes thought of getting these turned into moulds and creating copies in resin. If there would be a market for these pieces let me know. They are pieces of horses, quite nice really and I have identified the section that they come from.
Many thanks, Tim