Parthenon Frieze _ West XVI, 30

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Since its removal from the monument in 1993 , the west frieze has been stored in the Acropolis Museum, except for blocks I and II which are now located in the British Museum. The west frieze is composed of sixteen blocks averaging 1.40 meters in length, with blocks I and XVI being only 0.60 meters long as they represent the narrow sides of the west blocks of the north and south sides, N XLVII and S I respectively. The frieze showcases the preparation for the Panathenaic procession of horsemen in the Kerameikos. Each block features one to three figures at most and up to two horses, while individuals standing still form the axes of the entire composition along this side. Blocks with quiet scenes are interposed with those depicting action-filled scenes. A great variety is also seen in the clothing worn by the horsemen. Some have interpreted this as a way to distinguish between the 10 or 4 tribes of Attica. Some riders appear nude, others wear a short belted chiton or exomis, while some don a chlamys and petasos, a wide-brimmed hat; still others are clad in cuirass and helmet, with visible signs of clothing from other parts of Greece, such as Macedonia or Thrace: coarse cloth chitons and chlamyses, boots, and fox-skin caps.