| Date | early 20th century (plaster cast), 150-100 BC (original) |
|---|---|
| Object type | plaster cast |
| Medium, technique | plaster |
| Dimensions | 34 x 29 x 26 cm |
| Inventory number | Ag.313 |
| Collection | Classical Antiquites - Plaster casts |
| On view | Star Fortress (Komárom), Portraits of Roman Emperors, Gallery XI |
The original limestone female head is a fragment of a statue that may have decorated a funerary monument shaped as a sanctuary, serving as an acroterion at the corner of the tympanon. The thick, curly locks are held together by a broad, ribbon-like element that was only fragmentarily preserved — perhaps intertwined snakes? This motif is typical of Gorgonheads. The Gorgon, or Medusa, which was said to turn those looking at her into stone, was usually represented with a terrifying face, but in the fifth century BC, fair-faced Gorgons also appeared in art. At the same time, the statue may also depict the Etruscan goddess Lasa. It is the only representative of Etruscan art in the exhibition.
Hekler, Antal, Az antik gipszgyűjtemény I-II., Budapest, 1919-1920, 1923, no. no. 320.
This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.
