Limestone male head
This carefully executed head is of greatest interest for the headgear. The familiar helmetlike cap has on it the body of a bird. The animal's head is just above the man's forehead, the wings extend to either side, and the tail ends just before the projection at the top of the cap. In ancient Greece and Cyprus, the integration of whole animals or expressive parts into dress or armor was a frequent occurrence. Herakles with the lionskin is perhaps the foremost example. The priest, 74.51.2466, has a bull's head at the top of the cap. One wonders whether the individual depicted here was mortal or whether, conceivably, he might represent a special variant of Hermes, the messenger god whose travels were expedited by his winged shoes and cap.
Artwork Details
- Title: Limestone male head
- Period: Archaic
- Date: last quarter of the 6th century BCE
- Culture: Cypriot
- Medium: Limestone
- Dimensions: WebPub GR 2012 Cesnola: 17 1/2 × 8 1/2 × 12 1/2 in., 47 lb. (44.5 × 21.6 × 31.8 cm)
- Classification: Stone Sculpture
- Credit Line: The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
- Object Number: 74.51.2848
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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