Tag Archives: Relief

Head of Medusa

DescriptionEnglish: A bas-relief, representing a head of Medusa, ornamented with wings; on each side of it an eagle is represented in the act of seizing, with its talons, one of the snakes, which are entwined in the locks of her hair. The custom of adding wings to the head of Medusa was not always followed by the ancient artists. Aeschylus and Apollodorus have both described her as furnished with wings, but on coins of the cities of Amisus, Cabira, and Comana in Pontus, and of Amastris, and Sinope in Paphlagonia, the wings are represented not on the head of Medusa, but on her shoulders. Dimensions 1 foot 7 inches, by 9½ inches.
Date1810
SourceA description of the collection of ancient terracottas in the British Museum (https://archive.org/details/descriptionofcol00brit)
AuthorWilliam Alexander