Getty Museum

Plaque with Head of Pan

Date

second half of 4th century B.C.

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Greek

Department

Sculpture

Institution

Getty Museum

The pointed animal ears and small horns reveal that this wild-looking youth is the god Pan. The shape of this bronze repoussé relief plaque suggests that it was originally a pteryx, one of the flaps along the lower edge of a cuirass or armor breastplate. The small holes punched around the edge were used to sew the plaque onto a backing of leather in order to strengthen the piece and to reduce chafing. Pan was a fertility god, the patron deity of shepherds and herdsman, but he also had a dangerous side. He caused herds to stampede, sent nightmares to people, and brought on irrational terror. In his role as the instigator of panic in the enemy, Pan was an appropriate subject for decoration on armor.

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