Terracotta reilef roundel with head of Medusa

This small circular terracotta relief features the stylized face of Medusa, framed by symmetrical, wavy hair flowing outward from the center. The facial features are rendered with a direct, calm expression, departing from later depictions of the monster as terrifying or grotesque. The piece is designed as a roundel, likely intended for attachment to a wall or architectural element.

The Gorgoneion functioned in antiquity as an apotropaic device—a symbol meant to avert evil—and remained a persistent motif in Western art as a representation of petrifying gaze and the transformation of the 'monstrous' into a protective talisman. Its enduring presence bridges classical mythology with later Renaissance interests in the power of the image to effect psychological or metaphysical influence.