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Gorgoneion Plaque
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Probably meant to decorate the outside of a wooden coffin or other tomb furniture, this small mold-made terracotta plaque is one of two in the collection (click here for the other). Both bear gorgoneia , or frontal Gorgon faces, with snaky hair, sharp teeth, and protruding tongue, perhaps meant to ward off evils. A bit of fingerprint survives on the reverse, likely from its ancient maker.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineGorgoneion Plaque, c. 525–475 BCE. Greek / South Italian. Terracotta; overall: 6.9 x 6.9 cm (2 11/16 x 2 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Robert Haber, 1996.34
