Sphyrelaton
A sphyrelaton was a type of large archaic Greek bronze votive statues.
Features
The sphyrelata were obtained by hammering a thin sheet of bronze around a core of wood previously carved up to take the desired shape. The technique seems to be of Oriental origin, probably imported from north-Syrian workers arrived in Greece around the seventh century BC. In ancient Greece the sphyrelaton type were attributed to the mythical figure of Daedalus, and it is indeed significant that the most important testimonies of similar votive objects come from excavations on the island of Crete.
Archaeological evidence relating to sphyrelata is scarce. This kind of votive statues, in fact, was produced with materials that are highly perishable and delicate. The technique of realization of sphyrelata was not particularly long-lasting, as it was completely replaced by hollow casting, which was used to achieve superior standards of quality with less effort. The most substantial evidence, however, comes from Crete, where, e.g. in the Temple of Apollo Delphinios at Dreros three votive statuettes have been found in an excellent state of preservation, "in the first orientalizing style of the late eighth century" . Two of the three sphyrelata are supposed to represent Artemis and Leto, as they are equipped with a polos, a long decorated garment and a mantle. The two are in static positions, while the third, which is hypothesized to depict Apollo, is in motion, and the position of the arm of god suggests that it held a bow.