15 December
There was a time when Riace, Italy, was famous all over the world for the discovery of two bronze statues, so beautiful that when the restoration was finished, on December 15, 1980, and were finally exhibited, there were endless lines of visitors queuing to see them.
Their “modern” history began 8 years earlier, when they were accidentally found 230 meters from the shore. Their anatomical perfection and extraordinary workmanship were immediately striking.
Were the “statue A” and the “statue B” or the old and the young (even if, frankly it takes some courage to call old that 2m tall boy, absolutely in shape) born together? Or are they the work of two different sculptors? Scholars are not yet in agreement on who they represent, on what was their function, as well as -of course- on who their author may be.
In the meantime, the Riace Bronzes have been restored several times. And each time the restorations and diagnostics have given extraordinary results, adding an extra piece of information.
For example, by analysing the clay remains inside from casting, they were able to understand that both originate from the same place: Argos, in the Peloponnese, Greece, and in the same period the 5th century BC. From the lead that was used for some soldering and that comes from the mines of Mount Luarion, closed in the middle of the 1st century AD, it turned out that they were restored first in Athens and then in Rome, where an arm was replaced, with techniques similar to those in use in the Augustan period.
The materials used to create the details of the statues were then identified. Silver was used for the teeth of statue A and the eyelashes of the two heads. Limestone makes up the sclerae of the eyeballs, there is even a pink stone in the hollow of the eye. The lips are made of copper like the areolas of the nipples.
Next year it will be 50 years since the discovery. Guys you age very well!
