Herm Head of a Bearded Man

Label

The subtle turn of this head suggests animation, as though this figure has shifted to address someone standing alongside. Unlike the Egyptian and Cypriot heads nearby, this sculpture was never part of a full bodily figure but rather rested atop a rectangular stone slab to create an object called a herm. A herm consisted of a bearded male head on an elevated post; the term comes from the Greek god Hermes, who was often associated with boundaries, and many herms functioned as boundary markers, milestones, or signposts.

The flat, rounded surface at the crown of the figure’s head stands out in comparison to the finely carved curls of his beard and ring of hair. The sculpture likely once had a metal helmet that would fit over the head that has since been lost or melted down. Like the addition of colored pigments, metal elements could help individualize seemingly standardized sculptures and even reference specific historical or mythological figures.

From the exhibition, Stone, Sand, and Clay: Connecting Cultures in the Ancient Mediterranean, curated by Ashley B. Offill, Curator of Collections

Course History

ARTH 1, Bodies and Buildings, Ada Cohen, Steven Kangas, Fall 2012

WRIT 7.24, Past Imperfect, Cynthia Monroe, Spring 2019

WRIT 7.24, Past Imperfect, Cynthia Monroe, Spring 2019

CLST 12.03, ANTH 13.01, Who Owns the Past?, Julie Hruby and Jesse Casana, Winter 2020

CLST 06, Introduction to Classical Archaeology, Flint Dibble, Fall 2020

GOVT 86.43/MES 12.14, Intellectual History of Racism, Michelle Clarke and Jonathan Smolin, Spring 2022

Classical Studies 6.01, Introduction to Classical Archaeology, Margaretha Kramer, Fall 2023

Classical Studies 6.01, Introduction to Classical Archaeology, Margaretha Kramer, Fall 2024

Classical Studies 6.02, Introduction to Classical Archaeology, Margaretha Kramer, Fall 2024

Exhibition History

Ancient Profiles: Sculpture, Prints, and Coins from the Permanent Collection, Harrington Gallery Teaching Exhibition, Art History 1, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, November 1-December 17, 1997.

Gene Y. Kim, Class of 1985, Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, February 19-November 30, 2008.

Stone, Sand, and Clay: Connecting Cultures in the Ancient Mediterranean, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, June 7, 2025 - Ongoing

Publication History

Recent Acquisitions at Hood Museum, TA NEA, Dartmouth Classics Department Newsletter, April, 1994, Volum 1, Issue 1, pg.3

Provenance

Ruth Blumka (1920-1994), New York, New York; given to her son and daughter-in-law Anthony and Lois Blumka, New York, New York, 1993; given to present collection, 1993.

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Subjects