Why Do So Many Ancient Statues Have Missing Noses?

Spencer Alexander McDaniel:

This is a question that many people have pondered. If you’ve ever explored a museum, you’ve likely encountered ancient sculptures, such as the Greek marble head of the poet Sappho, displayed in the Glyptothek in Munich, with a missing nose.

A broken or missing nose is a common trait in ancient sculptures from all cultures and historical periods. This is not a feature limited to any particular culture or time. Even the famous nose of the Great Sphinx, located on the Giza Plateau in Egypt near the pyramids, is missing.

If you’ve ever encountered one of these sculptures, you’ve likely wondered: “What happened to the nose?” Some might mistakenly believe that most of these noses were intentionally removed by someone.

Indeed, a few ancient sculptures were deliberately defaced at different times for various reasons. For example, a first-century AD Greek marble head of the goddess Aphrodite was found in the Athenian Agora. You can tell that this particular sculpture was intentionally damaged by early Christians, who carved a cross into the forehead of the goddess.

However, this marble head is an exception and not representative of most ancient sculptures with missing noses. For the vast majority of these sculptures, the missing nose is due to natural wear over time, not intentional damage by people.

Ancient sculptures have endured thousands of years and have naturally worn down over time. The statues we observe in museums today have almost always been battered and weathered by the passage of time and exposure to the elements. Parts that protrude, like noses, arms, heads, and other appendages, are typically the first to break off. On the other hand, parts that are more firmly attached, such as legs and torsos, tend to survive more intact.

You’re probably familiar with the famous ancient Greek statue below. Discovered on the Greek island of Melos, it was created by Alexandros of Antioch around the late second century BC. It is known as the Aphrodite of Melos or, more commonly, Venus de Milo. Its most famous feature is that it is missing both arms.

At one point, the Aphrodite of Melos did indeed have arms, but they eventually broke off, as is common with body parts like arms, noses, and legs. The same fate befell many other sculptures’ noses. Since noses protrude, they are among the first parts to break off.

The Greek sculptures we see today are merely remnants of their former splendor. Originally, they were painted in vibrant colors, but most of the pigments faded or peeled off long ago, leaving behind only the white marble. There are some exceptionally well-preserved sculptures, however, that still bear traces of their original colors. For instance:

Even for sculptures that appear to lack visible color to the naked eye, archaeologists can detect faint traces of pigment under ultraviolet light using specialized techniques. Additionally, ancient Greek literature, such as Euripides's Helen, contains numerous references to painted sculptures. For example, Helen expresses (in translation, of course):

“My life and fortunes are a monstrosity, Partly because of Hera, partly because of my beauty. If only I could shed my beauty and assume an uglier aspect The way you would wipe color off a statue.”

This post originally appeared on Quora. Click here to view.