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Gorgoneion

In Ancient Greece, the gorgoneion was a special apotropaic amulet showing the head of a Gorgon, used most famously by the Olympian deities Athena and Zeus: both are said to have worn the gorgoneion as a protective pendant. It was assumed, among other godlike attributes, as a royal aegis to imply divine birth or protection, by rulers of the Hellenistic age, as shown, for instance, on the Alexander Mosaic and the Gonzaga Cameo.

This picture shows a wooden door panel with a carving of a gorgoneion, intended to guard the house from unwanted guests. It is located at the Hôtel Amelot de Bisseuil in Paris and was created around 1660 by French sculptor Thomas Regnaudin.

Photograph credit: Marie-Lan Nguyen

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