Cleveland Museum of Art

Satyr Head

Date

500s BCE

Medium

terracotta

Culture

Etruscan

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This head of an equine-eared satyr likely comes from a mold-made terracotta antefix. He has a wide nose, a furrowed brow, and almond-shaped eyes. Traces of pigment remain in the wavy incised beard and lips. A garland, perhaps made of pointed leaves, adorns the hair. It was likely part of a larger Etruscan temple antefix of an intertwined satyr and maenad because of its identical nature to other satyr heads from complete antefixes. Satyrs are nature spirits and followers of the wine god Dionysos.

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