The colossal chryselephantine statue of Zeus at Olympia was made by the sculptor Phidias.
Created in the 5th century BC for the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, the statue was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It showed Zeus seated on an elaborate throne, holding a small figure of Nike in one hand and a sceptre topped with an eagle in the other.
“Chryselephantine” means that the sculpture used ivory and gold over a wooden framework. Ancient descriptions also mention ebony, precious stones, painted decoration and a richly ornamented throne. At roughly 12–13 metres high, the seated figure was designed to dominate the temple interior.
Phidias was also associated with major Athenian works, especially the Athena Parthenos. Archaeologists excavated a workshop at Olympia in the 1950s, finding tools, moulds and ivory fragments that help explain how such a huge luxury sculpture was produced. The original Zeus statue no longer survives.