Daniel McKinney American, Hongkonger, b. 1960s
Athena Nude
Lapis Lazuli
7.09 x 2.76 x 1.58 in
Further images
Athena is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of various cities across Greece, particularly the city of Athens, from which she most likely received her name.
This masterpiece was carved from natural untreated lapis lazuli utilizing the white calcite portion for the horses mane. Lapis lazuli is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. As early as the 7th millennium BC, lapis lazuli was mined in the Sar-i Sang mines, in Shortugai, and in other mines in Badakhshan province in modern northeast Afghanistan.