Getty Museum

Prometopidion

Date

about 480 B.C.

Medium

Bronze, amber, ivory

Culture

Greek (South Italian)

Department

Armor

Institution

Getty Museum

A warrior's head decorates the upper portion of this prometopidion, a piece of armor that protected a horse's forehead. The warrior's eyes are inlaid with ivory and amber; the elaborate Chalcidian helmet he wears has cheek pieces in the form of rams' heads. The lower portion of the armor is decorated with the head of the monstrous Gorgon. The warrior and Gorgon, standard decoration for prometopidia, were subjects that correlated with the armor's function. The image of the warrior symbolized the armor's power to protect its wearer, and the head of the Gorgon warded off evil and danger. The small holes running around the edge of the prometopidion allowed a leather backing to be sewn onto the bronze for cushioning; the larger holes were for attachment to the bridle.

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