NARRATOR: Ceremonial chair, also known as the Elgin Throne. Made by an unknown Greek artist. Marble. Nearly 3 feet high.

This ceremonial chair is a rare surviving example of Greek marble furniture. It once occupied a public space in Athens, perhaps in the Theater of Dionysos, situated on the slopes of the Acropolis. Most of the audience would have sat on terraced rows of stone benches but this would have been a seat of honor -- perhaps for a priest or a city official.

The seat is carved from a block of mottled gray and white marble. It's shaped like a deep armchair but, instead of legs, it has a solid, rounded base. The highest point is the back of the seat, which then sweeps forwards and down, on both sides, to enclose the person sitting in the chair and to provide armrests.

On the sides of the seat, scenes have been carved into the marble, giving it a richly decorated texture. These scenes identify the throne as coming from Athens.  As you face the front of the chair, the scene on the left shows two heroes from Athenian history. They are Harmodius and Aristogeiton, known as the tyrant slayers, who set Athens on the path to democracy. On the other side is another Athenian hero: Theseus, the mythical first king of Athens, is shown slaying a female warrior -- an Amazon. For the Athenian audience, this scene symbolized the city's triumph over the barbarians.

The seat is known as the Elgin Throne, because it was once in the collection of Lord Elgin, a noted collector of antiquities.