Griffin Protome from a Cauldron

Inspired by Near Eastern vessels and monster imagery, Greek metal smiths of the seventh century BC produced numerous cauldrons of hammered metal that were adorned with the heads and necks of griffins, mostly for dedication in sanctuaries. The griffin protomes can be quite large and include the earliest Greek hollow-cast bronzes.

This griffin protome, originally attached as part of a set of four or six on the shoulder of a hammered bronze cauldron, is a hollow cast. The forehead supports a projecting peg that terminates in a biconical bead topped by a small pointed element; there is a small roundel beneath the bead. The head and neck exhibit a dense network of textured surface ornament consisting principally of small scales produced by a crescent-shaped punch. These surround a pair of incised curls that descend from the bases of the ears and unfold symmetrically on the lower part of the neck, ending in volute-shaped spirals. These incised locks exhibit groups of four transverse incised lines. The edges of the ears, the raised ridges around the upper and lower beak and the upper and lower jaws, the ridges over the eyes, and the projecting rounded ridges at the base of the ears are all marked by extremely fine, closely placed incised lines. The raised eyebrows above the eyes are emphasized by a pair of incised lines, although areas of corrosion and incrustation have obscured much of this surface ornament. Five rivets, of which four remain, originally fastened the protome to the shoulder of the cauldron.

David G. Mitten