Skip to main content
statuary

statuary

5 7.2
A group of statues kept together in one place
  • noun
  • /ˈstætʃuˌɛri/
translation icon : estatuaria
  • The museum features an impressive collection of ancient statuary, showcasing the artistry of past civilizations.
  • pagan statuary
  • cement statuary
  • classical statuary

And there's another interesting point about British public statuary.

Examples

  • Reisner originally proposed that Kerma was an Egyptian outpost because of the statuary and scarab seals found there.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Neither did it have the surrounding grounds with the impressive statuary and grotto that tourists came to see.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • And then we had a few random like statuary pieces.

  • Oh, the good citizens of American City are not too pleased with the statuary.

  • Many dot their landscapes with statuary for their customers to admire.

    Academic text (2011)
  • A room was made ready with a crucifix, holy water, and some statuary.

    Academic text (1996)
  • The next section looked like a museum of art with p37 marble statuary.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • In addition, antique statuary decorated public and private spaces of the Byzantine capital, Constantinople.

    Academic text (2008)
  • In major museums worldwide, Fang statuary has come to represent the zenith of African creativity.

    Academic text (2010)
  • The au pair strolled alone through the labyrinth of hedges and abstract statuary.

    Fiction book (1999)

Synonyms

sculpture
vsstatuary
158 3.5

A three-dimensional work of art made by shaping materials like stone or metal

refers to a group of carved figurative works not all three-dimensional art

Surface Forms

statuary singular
statuaries plural

Morphology

statuary = statue (semi-transparent) = statue + ary

The word is built from 'statue' + '-ary', but the collective-noun meaning is only partly predictable and somewhat lexicalized.

Etymology

The word statuary comes from the Latin statua 'a thing that stands', from stare 'to stand', and it is the same root as the everyday word statue. So statuary as a noun means a group or collection of statues, the standing figures you might see in a garden or museum.