Greek terracotta antefix with the face of a Gorgon, probably Medusa, surrounded by snakes. Prefixes were ornamental ceramic plugs that covered the open ends left by the semi-cylindrical roof tiles at the edge of temple roofs. They were often decorated with apotropaic images such as Gorgons and Satyrs. The Gorgons were hideous, witch-like female deities from Greek mythology. Medusa, whose gaze could turn a man to stone, is the best known. The Gorgons were protective divinities whose faces inspired fear. These apotropaic images on vases were intended to ward off threats of all kinds. Provenance: L. Marsh, London 1987; Baptist Cunningham, London 2000; Amok Wiersma, Utrecht 2007; Acquired from the above by Finn Delvaux in 2014, Brussels. *Restored Statement seen by Catawiki. The seller guarantees that he is entitled to ship this lot. The seller will take care that any necessary permits will be arranged. The seller will inform the buyer about this if this takes more than a few days. For buyers outside the European Union (EU) a Spanish export license is required. This will take several weeks to arrange. Due to Switzerland customs regulations, this lot cannot be sold to customers residing in Switzerland.