What metal is the Charioteer of Delphi statue made of?

The Charioteer of Delphi statue is made of bronze.

Also called Heniokhos, or “the rein-holder,” the statue is an Early Classical Greek bronze dating to about 470 BCE. It depicts a young chariot driver after a victory, probably during a ceremonial lap at the Pythian Games held at Delphi. The figure stands about 1.8 metres tall and was originally part of a much larger group with a chariot, horses, and attendants.

The work was dedicated to Apollo by Polyzalus, ruler of Gela in Sicily, although the exact victory commemorated and the sculptor’s identity remain debated. Its restrained expression, lifelike anatomy, and careful drapery mark the transition from the patterned Archaic style to the more naturalistic Classical style.

The statue survived unusually well because it was buried under debris after the earthquake that devastated Delphi in 373 BCE. Excavators found it in 1896. Its inlaid eyes, copper lips, silver eyelashes, and finely modeled fingers are among its most striking details. Marble is associated with many famous Greek statues, but this masterpiece is a hollow-cast bronze.