chryselephantine
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of chryselephantine
1820–30; < Greek chrȳselephántinos, equivalent to chrȳs- chrys- + elephántinos ( elephant-, stem of eléphās elephant, ivory + -inos -ine 1
Explanation
Use chryselephantine to describe ancient Greek sculpture that's made of ivory and gold. In the 6th century, chryselephantine figures commonly adorned the insides of temples, depicting gods and goddesses. These sculptures, built on wooden frames, used ivory for the deities' bodies and faces, and sheets of hammered gold to represent their hair, clothing, and armor. Chryselephantine is derived from Greek roots, khrysos, "gold, " and elephans, which means both "elephant" and "ivory."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Actress West plays her heroine with an eloquent and minatory calm, which contrasts well with the chryselephantine magnificence of her appearance.
From Time Magazine Archive
It is ironic that the best evidence we have of what Phidias' lost chryselephantine statue of Athena in the Parthenon looked like should be preserved on a Scythian woman's pendant from the 4th century B.C.
From Time Magazine Archive
They were acquainted with the arts of dyeing and incrusting ivory, and they also possessed some splendid specimens of chryselephantine statuary.
From Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 421 Volume 17, New Series, January 24, 1852 by Chambers, William
There were even some which combined gold with sculptured ivory, ebony, and precious stones, thus closely resembling the chryselephantine statues of the Greeks.
From Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to the Study of Antiquities in Egypt by Maspero, G. (Gaston)
There were statues in metal and marble, bas-reliefs in various kinds of stone and marble, as well as some chryselephantine statues.
From A History of Art for Beginners and Students Painting, Sculpture, Architecture by Waters, Clara Erskine Clement
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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