Lead ornament in the form of a gorgoneion (gorgon's face)

A small, corroded lead relief shows a face with bulging eyes and a fringe of raised dots or curls around its edge. The piece sits alone at the center of a pale grey field, its surface pitted and dark. The worn modeling makes the features hard to read at this scale.

Look closer: The raised dotted border runs along the top edge of the piece.

Artist

Unknown

Date

6th–5th century BCE

Medium

Lead

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

3000 × 4000 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of A. J. B. Wace, 1924