Greek head of a satyr with spade-shaped beard, Corinth, c.mid 5th-4th century BC
Terracotta
Height: 5cm
10591 IVP
Further images
Head of a balding satyr, the large, spade-shaped beard is finely incised to indicate the flowing facial hair. His eyebrows are high-arched above his almond-shaped eyes, a vertical indentation running...
Head of a balding satyr, the large, spade-shaped beard is finely incised to indicate the flowing facial hair. His eyebrows are high-arched above his almond-shaped eyes, a vertical indentation running down his forehead. He has a flat nose, wide mouth and short-cropped hair revealing his ears. Some encrustation to the back of the head.
This head is likely from of a figure which belongs to a large class of satyr characters seated on their tails, with hand- made bodies and moulded heads. It showed the demi-god in a playfully erotic gesture, his tail bending down to touch the ground and creating a tripod with his wide-set legs, his phallus exposed and erect.
This head is likely from of a figure which belongs to a large class of satyr characters seated on their tails, with hand- made bodies and moulded heads. It showed the demi-god in a playfully erotic gesture, his tail bending down to touch the ground and creating a tripod with his wide-set legs, his phallus exposed and erect.
Provenance
Tom Virzi (1881-1974), New York, USA; small paper label attached to the back of the head with collection no.371Private collection, Switzerland; collection no.758
