Lot 14A
Ancient Greece, ca. 540 BCE. A mold-made earthenware antefix depicting the head of a Gorgon - a frightening beast-like female creature seen as early as the days of Homer that continued to be used as a monstrous symbol throughout the Roman period. Antefixes usually took the form of heads, either of humans or mythological creatures like this example. In addition to serving a decorative purpose, these architectural terracottas also covered and protected any exposed wooden sections of the building from the elements. This example, of a rounded shape, depicts a marvelous frontal head of a Gorgon, one of three mythological sisters of the ancient Greek world whose hideous visages embodied the most horrifying aspects of death and the supernatural, with wide open eyes, a pointy protruding nose, a disturbing toothy, fang-framed smile, large ears, a clefted chin, all surrounded by a serpentine wreath. Attached custom metal stand. Size: 6.625" W x 6.125" H (16.8 cm x 15.6 cm)
Known for their potent gazes that could turn one to stone, Gorgons were favored as architectural ornaments because it was believed that they would protect those within. Perhaps the most famous image of a Gorgon is featured upon the pediment of the temple at Corfu, the oldest known pediment in Greece, preceding this example by only sixty years!
A similar antefix with the head of a gorgon was featured in Sotheby's New York, June 1994, lot 183 for $20,000. It was published in J.M. Padgett's "The Centaurs Smile, The Human Animal in Early Greek Art", Princeton, 2004, pp. 324-325, n. 88. Similar terracotta head antefixes may also be found in renowned museum collections including the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Compare to a published example in Charles Ede Ltd Antiquities Catalogue 168 (Charles Ede Ltd: London 2000). See front cover and description No. 11 .
Compare to S. Mollard-Besques, Musee National du Louvre Catalogue Raisonne des Figurines et Reliefs en Terrecuite . . . Vol. 1 (Paris 1954), pl. XLVII No. B522.
Provenance: private Swiss collection
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#124153
- Condition: Losses to peripheries. Some indentations from the molding process. A few stable fissures.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $25,000 |