Limestone male head
Not on view
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.
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