Nike the “Sandalbinder”

Nike the “Sandalbinder”

Right part of a slab that has been regarded as belonging to the south side of the parapet of the Temple of Athena Nike. It depicts a winged Nike who adjusts or unbinds her sandal in order to walk barefoot in the sacred area of the temple of Athena, a gesture that gave her the conventional name the “Sandalbinder”. Her transparent chiton, which clings to her body as if wet, slips down, leaving her right shoulder bare. The fabric of her himation clings to her lower body, draping down in large folds, while her face, no longer preserved, is framed by her wings. (426- 423 B.C.)