Herm (sculpture)
Also known as: herm · hermae · hermes · herms · term
- 1A herm consists of a head and torso on a plain, squared base.
- 2The form is named after the frequent depiction of the god Hermes.
- 3The sculpture type originated in ancient Greece.
- 4The design was revived during the Renaissance as term figures.
A herma, commonly herm in English, is a sculpture with a head and perhaps a torso above a plain, usually squared lower section, on which male genitals may also be carved at the appropriate height.
Connections1
cultic representation
A herm is a stone pillar topped with a bust of Hermes, used in ancient Greece as a boundary marker and a protective symbol at doorways.
A herm, or herma, is a specific type of classical sculpture characterized by a head and often a torso mounted atop a plain, squared pillar. These structures frequently feature male genitals carved at the appropriate height on the lower section.
Archaic bearded head of Hermes from a herm, early 5th century BCWikimedia Commons: File:AGMA_Tête_d'Hermès.jpgHerma with the head of Herakles (Hermherakles). Museum of Ancient Messene, GreeceWikimedia Commons: File:HermHerakles_2.jpgHerma of Demosthenes from the Athenian Agora, work by Polyeuktos, c. 280 BC, GlyptothekWikimedia Commons: File:Herma_Demosthenes_Glyptothek_Munich_292.jpg The name is derived from the frequent use of the head of Hermes on these pillars, though some etymological theories suggest a connection to the Greek word for stone heaps. Originating in ancient Greece, the form was later adopted by the Romans and saw a significant revival during the Renaissance as term figures and atlantes.