Ludovisi Throne

The Ludovisi Throne is a fifth-century BCE Greek marble relief, carved around 460 BCE during the transition between Archaic and Early Classical styles. Originally from Magna Graecia (modern Calabria, southern Italy), it was likely created for the Sanctuary of Aphrodite at Locri.

The central panel depicts Aphrodite rising from the sea, assisted by two Horae who hold a veil around her. Her wet garment clings to her body in delicate folds. The side panels show contrasting figures: a nude woman playing double flutes on one side, and a veiled woman burning incense on the other. Both are interpreted as priestesses of Aphrodite's cult.

Discovered in 1887 in Rome's Villa Ludovisi (where the ancient Gardens of Sallust once stood), the throne measures 90 cm high and 142 cm wide. It now resides at the Museo Nazionale Romano at Palazzo Altemps, acquired by Italy in 1894.