Is this the image of a god? Does it represent a particular human being? Or is this mysterious seventh-century B.C. artifact merely an ornamental mask, depicting no one in particular? The protruding nose and slit mouth of the face suggest Celtic influence, as do the decorated hands, but what little else we know about this sheet-bronze set is based solely on its provenance: Klein-Klein, near Graz, Austria. The Celts were known for both their bronzework and their skills with iron. The Celtic Early Iron Age (800–400 B.C.) produced such a rich and distinctive material culture in central Europe that […]
