What term describes Greek sculptures made of gold and ivory?

The term for Greek sculptures made of gold and ivory is chryselephantine.

The word combines Greek chrysos, “gold,” and elephas, “ivory.” Ancient chryselephantine statues were usually built around a wooden framework. Thin ivory plates represented flesh, while gold sheets covered clothing, hair, armor, and other details. Glass, gemstones, and colored materials could be added for eyes and jewelry.

This expensive technique was especially associated with large cult statues housed in temples. The most famous examples were Phidias’s Statue of Zeus at Olympia and Athena Parthenos in the Parthenon. Zeus, completed around 435 BC, was about 12.4 meters tall and became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

A common mix-up is acrolithic sculpture. Acrolithic statues also used a wooden or other body, but their exposed head and limbs were generally made of stone, often marble, rather than ivory. Most ancient chryselephantine statues disappeared because gold could be removed and melted, ivory and wood could decay, and the works were vulnerable to fire and religious destruction.