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Fragmentary terracotta coffin-fitting in the shape of Medusa's head
Greek, Ptolemaic
Hellenistic Period
332–250 B.C.
Findspot: Egypt, Naukratis
Medium/Technique
Terracotta
Dimensions
3.3 cm (1 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Egypt Exploration Fund by subscription
Accession Number86.396
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope, Ancient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsSculpture
DescriptionFragment of an Egyptian terracotta coffin-fitting of Gorgon's head (Medusa); a decorative attachment for a wooden coffin. Mask of Medusa with curling hair falling on each side of her face; the chin is dimpled. The back is concave, with a flattened edge where it came into contact with the wood of the coffin. The face was pressed into a one-piece mould. A white dressing was applied and the hair was painted. Red-brown Nile silt.
ProvenanceFrom Naukratis. 1885: excavated by William Matthew Flinders Petrie for the Egypt Exploration Fund, assigned to the EEF by the Egyptian government; October 28, 1885: voted to the MFA at EEF general meeting; sent over February 1886. (Accession date: 1886).