Abstract
From different times, in different parts of Europe north of the Alps objects decorated with anthropomorphic faces appear in the archaeological record. In the 5th century BC and in the 5th century AD faces gained a visual and material presence when they were placed in prominent positions on a wide range of objects. And they remained important pictorial elements in Celtic Latène and early medieval Germanic art. By concentrating on faces I aim to argue in this paper that there is some, if tenuous, evidence for stylistic and iconographical continuities from Latène to early medieval faces but also and probably more importantly for conceptual continuities reflecting the idea of the anthropomorphic face in art. By creating the faces, giving them a visual and material reality, they affected actively the beholders.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Barbaric Splendour |
| Subtitle of host publication | The use of image before and after Rome |
| Editors | Toby Martin, Wendy Morrison |
| Place of Publication | Oxford |
| Publisher | Archaeopress |
| Pages | 102-120 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-78969-660-8 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-78969-659-2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2020 |
Keywords
- Latène art, early medieval art, Mediterranean imports, mistress/master of the animals, animal style, mental constructs, bracteates
