Winged Gorgoneion (Olympia B 110)
The winged gorgoneion is a shield sign from the first half of the 6th century BC. BC, which served as an apotropaion on a shield. It was found during excavations in Olympia and is under inventory number B 110 in the Olympia Archaeological Museum .
Shield signs with different representations, such as animal heads, plants, ornaments or later gorgonias , are already for the 8th century BC. Known from war representations of late Geometric Attic vases as well as from literary descriptions. Original shield signs from the archaic era were found mainly in Olympia, they are cut out bronze sheets into which drawings were driven or engraved . With the changes in the Greek religion from the 6th century BC The belief in the protection of the Apotropaia and thus the shield signs dwindled, after the 5th century they can no longer be proven.
The Gorgoneion was found on the north wall of the Olympic Stadium, the diameter of the medallion with the head of Medusa is 34 cm, the total diameter 81.5 cm. The medallion is completely filled with the head of the Gorgon with its snake hair. The eyes were presumably set in leg and are surrounded by distinct eyelids. The open mouth is clearly demarcated from the chin and cheeks by a pair of lips encircling a bead, and under the chin there are traces that may have been caused by a soldered goatee. The bared teeth with their tusks and the tongue hanging from the mouth of the gorgeion should increase the deterrent effect. The medallion is surrounded by an impeller made of three sickle wings, one of which was not preserved and was added later.
The place of manufacture of the piece is unclear.
literature
- Hanna Koenigs-Philipp : Winged Gorgoneion . In: Alfred Mallwitz , Hans-Volkmar Herrmann (ed.): The finds from Olympia . German Archaeological Institute, Athens 1980, p. 108.
Web links
- Shield signs, wings and gorgoneion in the Arachne archaeological database