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--well ... from that time on the gorgoneion became functional as an apotropaic device. Use evil to ward off evil I always say.
As an aside ... the Gorgon is always alluded to as a head. No arms. No legs. No body in fact. And almost always ugly as ugly can be. Except for this dichotomy. When ugly is only ugly ... then it's pretty much ugly. But when ugly gets really ugly ... when it descends into the muck and mire of ugliness ... when it transcends all boundaries of ugliness and begins to border on the edge of grotesqueness ... why then ... it abruptly transforms ... and suddenly it's beautiful. Still ugly mind you. But also quite beautiful.
There is however an exception to the ugliness of the Medusa. There is a Hellenistic marble known as the Medusa Rondanini which is in fact quite beautiful in the traditional sense. I guess if viewed from the right angle one can see beauty in all things. I believe this surely holds true for all living creatures except for that anomaly called a politician. No beating me over the head on this one folks. I'm Benjy the setting man ... I yam what I yam what I yam ... I fights to the finish when I see a winger ... don't matter left or right.
For what it's worth ... Gorgons are all over the place. Dress. Dishes. Weapons. Coins. Mosaic floors. Doors. And even ... for all you jewelers ... kilns.
So ... there's this Gorgoneion I have ... appliqué: gold foil ... dating to late 6th century B.C. ... probably used for funerary purposes ... no value given ... but quite stunning. Wanna see?
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