Marble Chimera Rhyton

On the east and west walls of the Rayburn House Office Building are eight marble rhytons, drinking horns formed of mythical figures known as chimeras.

Rhyton (plural rhyta) is the ancient Greek word (ῥυτόν rutón) for a container from which fluids were intended to be drunk, or else poured in some ceremony such as libation.

In Greek mythology, Chimera (Greek Χίμαιρα (Chímaira); Latin Chimaera) is a monstrous creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, which was made of the parts of multiple animals. Chimera was one of the offspring of Typhon and Echidna and sister of such monsters as Cerberus and the Lernaean Hydra.

The Architect of the Capitol, J. George Stewart, with the approval of the House Office Building Commission, selected the firm of Harbeson, Hough, Livingston and Larson of Philadelphia to design a simplified, classical building in architectural harmony with other Capitol Hill structures.

John F. Harbeson had a prior association with the Capitol, having served in 1949–1950 as an asso-ciate architect on the project to rebuild the Houseand Senate chambers. With his partners, he wasalso engaged in developing a design for a third office building for the House of Representatives.

Mr. Harbeson was a partner of the Philadelphia architectural firm of Harbeson, Hough, Livingston & Larson from 1945 to 1963, when he retired, but remained a consultant to the Monuments Commission.