Terracotta painted gorgoneion antefix (roof tile)

ca. 540 BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 171

The clear modeling and the vivid traces of paint make this antefix a fine example of its kind. Although the colors (yellow, red, and blue) may appear faded now, their original hue would have been rich and pronounced, appropriate for the frightful theme and its high placement along the roof of a temple. The Gorgon functioned as a protective symbol and thus was an appropriate decoration for sacred architecture.

Artwork Details

Overview

References

Title: Terracotta painted gorgoneion antefix (roof tile)
Period: Archaic
Date: ca. 540 BCE
Culture: Greek, South Italian, Tarentine
Medium: Terracotta, paint; mold-made
Dimensions: H. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm.)
W. 10 5/16 in. (26.2 cm.)
Depth as preserved 3 11/16 in. (9.4 cm.)
Classification: Terracottas
Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1939
Object Number: 39.11.9
Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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