Set of two ram heads; Syria, c. 300 B.C. Terracotta.

Set of two ram heads; Syria, c. 300 B.C.
Terracotta.
Work referenced in the exhibition catalog "Den genfundne tid. Kulturvandinger - Skaberkraft," 2019. Johannes Larsen Museum (Kerteminde, Denmark) and the Museum of Religious Art (Lemvig, Denmark), p. 189.
Provenance: Peter Brandes Collection.
Measurements: 10.5 x 8 x 9.5 cm.
This exceptional pair of ram heads, modeled in terracotta during the Hellenistic period in Syria, stands out for the expressive power of its forms and the meticulous depiction of the spiraling horns, rendered with a remarkable sense of volume and sculptural rhythm. The combination of naturalism and stylization reflects the assimilation of Greek models in local workshops in the Near East. The ram was a motif of profound symbolic significance in the cultures of the eastern Mediterranean, associated with fertility, protection, and divine power. These heads may have been part of a sculptural group, an architectural element, or served a votive function in a religious context—hypotheses supported by archaeological parallels from the region.The pieces feature delicate modeling of the face, with almond-shaped eyes and meticulous rendering of the fleece and horns, where the repetition of grooves creates a dynamic interplay of light and shadow.
Due to its artistic quality, iconography, and cultural provenance, this collection constitutes a representative example of Syrian coroplastic art from the Hellenistic period. In the late 4th and early 3rd centuries BCE, Syria became one of the major cultural centers of the Hellenistic world following the conquests of Alexander the Great and the establishment of the Seleucid Empire. Far from supplanting local traditions, the Greek presence fostered an intense artistic exchange in which Eastern and Mediterranean formal languages coexisted.