Herm of Hermes

The bearded head of Hermes surmounts a type of statue called a herm--a square pillar typically featuring a bust of the god and male genitalia. This example has lost several separately carved and added elements, including two short bars that projected from the sides at shoulder height and the genitalia from the front of the pillar. The statue is modeled after the Hermes Propylaios carved by the Greek sculptor Alkamenes in 430–420 B.C., which stood at the entrance of the Athenian Acropolis. In Greek religion, herms served as protective images at boundaries, crossroads, and rural sanctuaries. During Roman times, however, they lost their religious significance and became a popular garden and courtyard ornament. This Roman version likely decorated the garden of a villa.