Chares at The British Museum, London

myminifactory

According to a dedicatory inscription from the Apollo Delphinios sanctuary at Miletos, the Milesian state procession made several stops along the Sacred Way during the New Year festival, singing hymns and making sacrifices. Their final stop before reaching the temple at Didyma was by a group of statues called the Chares statues, which were possibly displayed on a semi-circular base in a monumental shrine, similar to one recently discovered along the Sacred Way. This marble statue stands out as the only one from the group that can be identified today. An inscription on both the front and side of its right chair leg proudly declares: "I am Chares, son of Kleisis, ruler of Teichioussa. A gift to Apollo." The name "Chares" is one of the few surviving Greek statues referenced in an ancient inscription, making it a significant find. Moreover, it is one of the earliest named monumental portraits, although during this period a portrait was not intended to be an actual likeness. This object is part of the Scan The World initiative, a non-profit endeavor launched by MyMiniFactory to create a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the globe for public access. Scan The World is an open-source community effort, where anyone with interesting items can contribute by emailing stw@myminifactory.com to find out how they can help.