Cleveland Museum of Art

Gorgoneion Plaque with Incised Figure of a Dancing Satyr

Date

c. 525–475 BCE

Medium

terracotta

Culture

Greece, South Italy

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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. Curiously, this plaque also features decoration on its back side, in the form of a spirited dancing satyr incised into the clay before firing. Since this satyr would not have been visible once the plaque was in place, its purpose is uncertain. Was it simply diversion for the artisan who made it, or meant to protect the spirit of the deceased? This plaque includes a very rare ancient sketch: a satyr incised on the reverse surface.

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