Classical World, Etruria, ca. early 5th century CE. An impressive pottery herm of horned anthropomorphic creature, representing the river deity Achelous (Acheloos), with a bearded face, and piercing gaze. His naturalistic visage is comprised of slightly parted, full lips, wide eyes beneath arched brows, and a dramatic mustache and beard. Curved horns rise from his head, just above large, bovine ears, symbolic of his bull-like nature. Classic views of Achelous show him with a bearded, wild face, often surrounded by greenery. The cuboid shape of his base suggests this was used for a shrine or altar in an Etruscan household. Size: 2.5" W x 3.2" H (6.4 cm x 8.1 cm); 4.4" H (11.2 cm) on included custom stand.

Achelous’s name is pre-Classical, hinting at an origin far beyond the bounds of known history. In Greek mythology, he became the patron deity of the Achelous River, the largest river in Greece, and one frequently associated in the ancient Greek mind with magic and deities. Achelous was also an important Etruscan deity, his relationship to water giving him chthonic meaning and associating him with the mysteries of death and the underworld. His incarnation as a man-faced bull, as he is depicted here, arose with the Etruscans in the 8th century BCE, and spread from there to Greece. Homer placed him as the origin of rivers, the world’s fresh (and drinkable) water; as the later Greeks, Etruscans, and then Romans formed their own interpretations of Homer, they began to call Achelous the “Prince of Rivers.” In the swirling cultural milieu of the Mediterranean world, Etruscan and Greek traders and mercenaries carried his worship far afield, and he also became conflated with the ancient Near Eastern mythos of a “princely bison” who was believed to rise to the surface of the earth through springs, marshes, and, ultimately rivers.

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#177863

Chipping to ears, horns, nose, and base, and expected surface wear as shown, commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with nice remaining details to face.