The head of the Gorgon Medusa, also called Gorgo, a mythical winged monster with female features. The large eyes and protruding tongue stand out in the round face. Snakes spring from the head, while the forehead is crowned with a row of curls. The depiction of the Gorgoneion in the art of the historical period is apotropaic, intended to avert evil. It is found in the form of antefixes, masks and busts, and most commonly as the central element of Athena’s aegis or a shield emblem.