Limestone head of the god Hermes (?)
Unknown Artist
early 5th century BCE
Medium
Limestone
Dimensions
Overall: 5 7/8 x 4 3/16 x 5 3/4 in. (14.9 x 10.6 x 14.6 cm)
Classification
Stone Sculpture
Culture & Period
Cypriot · Archaic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
Accession Number
74.51.2688
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite limestone head, tentatively identified as the Greek god Hermes, hails from Cyprus during the Archaic period the early 5th BCE. Carved from a compact block of stone, it measures just under 6 inches tall, it may have served as a votive offering or part of a larger statue in a sanctuary or tomb. Cyprus, a cultural crossroads between Greece, the Near East, and Egypt, sculptures blending these influences, and this piece exemplifies the island's vibrant Archaic tradition in stone carving. The identification as Hermes—the swift-footed messenger god associated with travel, commerce, an...