A TERRACOTTA GORGONEION ANTEFIX

Greece or Southern Italy, 5^th century BC. Of pointed form, neatly carved in varying degrees of relief to depict the grimacing face of a Gorgoneion, marked by bulging eyes, a pointed nose, full cheeks, and a gaping mouth revealing sharp fangs and a protruding tongue, framed by tightly curled hair across the forehead, with two small ears emerging amid the locks.

Provenance: Collection of Philip Pearlstein, New York, and thence by descent. Philip Martin Pearlstein (1924–2022) was an American painter celebrated for his Modernist Realist nudes and regarded as a leading figure in figurative painting from the 1960s to the early 2000s. Born in Pittsburgh, Pearlstein showed an early aptitude for art. He studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, where he met his future wife, Dorothy Cantor, and fellow student Andy Warhol. After military service in World War II, he graduated in 1949 and subsequently moved together with Warhol to New York. Early in his career, he painted abstract-expressionist landscapes and worked for Life magazine, later receiving a Fulbright fellowship to study in Italy. By the late 1950s, he began attending figure drawing sessions at Mercedes Matter’s studio, leading in 1961 to his series of nude couples and, shortly thereafter, to direct-from-model paintings in a precise, realistic style. Pearlstein taught at Pratt Institute, Yale University, and Brooklyn College, where he was Distinguished Professor Emeritus. His meticulous exploration of the human form established him as a central figure in contemporary American realism.
Condition: Good condition overall with expected ancient wear, weathering, and natural surface irregularities. Minor losses and old breaks with subsequent restorations consistent with age and type. The diagonal relief line across the face is not a repair but a molding seam, original to the piece. Scattered small nicks and chips, as well as areas of soil encrustation and light calcification, further attest to its antiquity.

Weight: 519.2 g
Dimensions: Height 15.7 cm

With an associated metal support. (2)

The antefix, derived from the Latin ‘antefixa’ (meaning ‘fixed in front’), refers to an architectural ornament placed at the lower end of roof tiles, which in classical Greek and Roman architecture was decorated with various motifs. In smaller structures, antefixes were typically made of ceramic, usually terracotta, and could be adorned with figurative designs or masks.

The gorgoneion originally functioned as an apotropaic amulet in Ancient Greece, designed to repel evil through the depiction of the Gorgon, a mythological chthonic female figure characterized by a petrifying gaze and monstrous features. The Gorgon served as a protective emblem, making it a fitting motif for sacred architecture. By the sixth and fifth centuries BC, gorgoneion antefixes, such as the present example, were widespread in Greek temples, particularly in the region of Corinth and its sphere of influence, as well as in southern Italy, where they were especially common in Sicily and Taranto.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related terracotta Gorgoneion Antefix (roof tile), Greece or South Italy, dated c. 500 BC, 24.5 cm high, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 2021.3. Compare a related terracotta Gorgoneion Antefix (roof tile), South Italy, dated 490 BC, in the British Museum, registration number 1899,0718.2.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 20 April 2005, lot 1
Price: GBP 16,800 or approx. EUR 41,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Etruscan terracotta gorgoneion antefix, 6th-early 5th century BC
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling with similar facial features and expression. Note the larger size (23 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 16 June 2006, lot 81
Price: USD 15,600 or approx. EUR 27,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Greek terracotta antefix, Tarentine, archaic period, circa late 6th century b. c.
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling with similar facial features and expression. Note the larger size (24 cm).