Head of the Gorgon Medusa from a Funerary Vessel
3rd century BCE
Description
Depiction of the head of the Gorgon Medusa in relief. Curling and waving hair frames a rounded, symmetrical face, which is frontal to the viewer. At the cheeks, snake heads emerge from Medusa's hair. White slip covers the surface, and traces of pigment are visible in the lips. From an applique on an Canosan funerary vessel, likely an askos. Mended from three fragments.
Dimensions
H. 19.3 × W. 15.6 × D. 7.6 cm (7 5/8 × 6 1/8 × 3 in.)
Provenance
Louis-Joseph-Raphaël Collin [1], Paris, (by 1890-1911), sold; to William A. Clark [2], New York, (by 1911-1925), bequest; to Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., (1926-2018) [3], transferred; to American University Museum, Washington, D.C., (2018-2021), sold; [through Sands of Time, Washington, D.C.]; to Harvard Art Museums, 2022. 1. Louis-Joseph-Raphaël Collin (1850-1916) 2. William Andrews Clark (1839-1925) 3. Following the closure of the Corcoran Gallery in 2014, its collections were physically transferred to the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.); the Corcoran Board of Trustees retained ownership until the collections were officially transferred to and accessioned into other museums’ collections (in 2018, in this case).
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