The experimental reconstruction of the bronze warriors of Riace as part of the Frankfurt “Liebieghaus Polychromy Research Project”

The contribution describes the experimental reconstruction of the two bronze warriors discovered in 1972 in the sea a few meters off the coast of Riace. The Frankfurt project intends to contribute to the question of the production process, but also to the interpretation of these famous sculptures. On the basis of a 3D scan, a 1:1 bronze replica was recast. Eyes, eyelashes, lips, teeth and nipples, which had been originally made of stones and inlays of copper and silver, were reproduced and, together with a speculative patination and a painting based on linseed oil and asphalt, provide a starting point to discuss issues of the authentic appearance. Meticulous studies of the preserved technical traces on the warriors’ heads allow a reconstruction of both lost headgears that eventually provide a strong argument for the identification of both warriors.