#antefix

[uncleclaudius]

Decorative antefixes of Etruscan origin, which were originally placed at the edges of the roofs.

[occultclassicalart]

BW Edit after Greek South Italian artist of the Classical Period (4th century BC) (Antefix, head of Medusa) (Metropolitan Museum of Art, Acc. 10.210.51)

[romegreeceart]

Antefixes from an archaic sanctuary in Latium

These date back to 6th-5th century BCE. The sanctuary was located in Antemnae, Lanuvium or Satricum (=poorly taken "info photo")

Rome, July 2015

[tridentandtales]

Roman antefix (roof tile) with a gorgoneion

1st century CE

British Museum 1805,0703.403

[michael-svetbird]

MAENAD's HEAD: Etruscan Antefix from Cerveteri ‘Painted terracotta antefix moulded with the head of a maenad in a shell-like frame.’ [Txt ©BM] Terracotta About 400-300 BC Inv. 1893,0628.2 Featured in the ANTIQVVS Magazine Autumn 2024 Issue

The British Museum, London | BM [First fl., Room 71 'Etruscan World']

Web : https://www.britishmuseum.org

IG, YT, X, FB : @ britishmuseum

LiN : https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-british-museum

BM | Michael Svetbird phs ©MSP/Antiqvvs | 17|08|24 5000X4200 600 The photographed object is collection item of BM [Non-commercial fair use | No AI training | Author rights apply | Sorry for the watermarks]

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[lionofchaeronea]

Archaic Greek terracotta antefix in the form of a Gorgoneion. Artist unknown; 6th century BCE. Now in the Museo archeologico regionale, Gela, Sicily. Photo credit: Sailko/Wikimedia Commons.

[lisablack000]

Between 520 and 500 BC, the artisans of Magna Graecia left us a unique masterpiece: the Antefix of Hera.

This extraordinary find, used to decorate the roofs of temples, is much more than an architectural element. It represents a journey through time, between fashion, art and ancient symbols.

The female figure depicted wears a tight blouse, an unusual garment for the time, decorated with geometric patterns with squares and black swastikas.

The swastika, today linked to a dramatic story, actually has much older origins and a completely different meaning.

Derived from the Sanskrit "svastika", it was a symbol of well-being, luck and prosperity, used in many cultures of the ancient world.

This masterpiece not only testifies to the artistic refinement of Greek artisans, but invites us to reflect on the evolution of symbols over time.

What remains of their original meanings?

How do they change, adapting to different cultural and historical contexts?

The Antefix of Hera is a window onto the past, an example of how ancient art can still speak to modern man today, revealing not only aesthetics, but also cultural and symbolic complexity.

[namgalam]

🏺I have lost the reference ceramic…🏺

drawing of a detail of Greek ceramic on a white background representing an Antefix with palmette decorations

In same time it's too neat and too sketchy...