Mšecké Žehrovice Head

The Mšecké Žehrovice Head is a male sculpted head from c. 150–50 BC found at the double Viereckschanze site in Mšecké Žehrovice, about 65 km northwest of Prague, Czech Republic. It is one of the best known works of Celtic art from Iron Age Europe, and, along with the Glauberg "Prince" and the Warrior of Hirschlanden, one of the few large representations of the human figure. After its discovery in 1943, the sculpture became one of the most photographed, reproduced and published La Tène (cc. 450–50 B.C.) objects ever.^[1] The sculpture is now in the Prague National Museum as inventory No. 111938.

With its iconic moustache, owl-like eyes, torc ornament and unique hairstyle, the marlstone head became an international mascot of Celtic Europe, embellishing the covers of many scientific as well as populist publications concentrating on Iron Age Europe related issues.^{[citation needed]}

Format

The stone head, sculpted from local Cretaceous limestone, has a maximum height of 234 mm and width of 174 mm. The sculpture was broken into at least five pieces sometime in antiquity.^[2] Four pieces have been found in fairly good condition. However, the missing fragment or possibly fragments, a right-hand side of the head including upper part of the ear, have not yet been found. The heavily stylized facial features are projected on an almost flat surface surrounded by braid-like shaped hair. At the back of the head the hair appears to be shaved in a tonsure. The most prominent are the bulging oval eyes, contoured by a curvilinear eyebrow matching a similarly imposing curvilinear moustache.

The mouth is suggested by a mere downward bending line.^[3] The ears are not naturalistic but rather represented as lotus buds, a stylistic form representative of La Tène art.^[4] The neck is formed in a shape of a torc, a traditional Celtic necklace. A similar torc can be seen on the second-century B.C. sculpture of a Dying Gaul from Pergamon.

Background

The visual imagery of the