Busacca Gallery

Very large heavy contemporary wooden sculpture painted black stylized wood carving of a fat woman’s head, a sculpture depiction of Perseus' with phrygian cap ears, and wings. Looks like a modern version of the young liberty vintage dime minted in 1916. Contributed to the artist Fernando Botero. We have been examining the cultural contribution of this artist's style and have not been able to authenticate this sculpture, presently. We believe this artist was influenced by the Greek mythology of Perseus’ winged cap and the winged liberty 1916 American dime / A young Liberty, with winged cap. First struck in 1916, the Mercury dime was minted in America. Can also relate to the visual story two Midas, the mythical king of Phrygia. He was famous for his donkey ears and headgear. Midas hid the ears beneath the flaps of a Phrygian cap--the traditional head-gear of the local nobility. In Greek mythology, we can also trace the goddess Cybele, known as the mother of the gods. she was associated with fertility and the natural world and was worshipped as the patron goddess of wild animals, particularly lions. Today we see, Greek mythical sculptures wearing phrygian caps. Some examples are. Some Castors, Pollux, heroes, and Amazons. In the ancient world, headgear was a primary way of identifying with a glance, the status, trade, gender, ethnic background, and religion of an individual. One could often spot a craftsman in a conical felt hat. Recognized as one of the most successful living artists in the world, Fernando Botero’s monumental sculptures have graced the public squares and main avenues of large metropolises on every continent. From Bogotá to Paris, New York to Hong Kong, Botero’s voluptuous and instantly recognizable sculptures have become ingrained in the public’s memory. Globally exhibited and cherished for over four decades, Botero's astonishing bronzes have transcended their stationary nature to become integral to our understanding of these public spaces. Inspired by ancient and classical sources, Botero’s monumental works are both modern and legendary. In the complete corpus of Botero’s work, his interest in mythology as a powerful means of conveying ideas through symbols and emblem-laden figures has remained constant. As he started his lifelong pursuit of sculpture in the mid-1970s, he immediately turned to antiquity for sources of inspiration. Much in the way of the great artists of the Italian Baroque, he has treasured ancient sculpture as one of the foundations of Western visual culture. A little history about the turn of the century US dime design, there was a interesting misnomer, over the years. The story goes, The Lady Liberty with a winged cap was mistaken by the public for the Roman messenger god Mercury, and thus the nickname “Mercury dime” was given to the new dime. Many classic U.S. coin designs reveal a mysterious looking depiction, hat with wings.Most never give it a second thought, but it’s a Phrygian cap, a fabric cone-like hat with a rounded top that gracefully falls to one side. These types of caps were commonly worn by liberated slaves, who inhabited ancient Phrygia, which is now western Turkey. Often times, freed slaves from the remote territories of Greece and Rome wore them to symbolize their freedom or liberation—for this reason, they became known as “liberty caps.” Eventually, other cultures began to adopt the Phrygian cap as a symbol of their own freedom and pursuit of liberty. The style regained popularity during Revolutionary France, eventually making its way into the permanent French identity. For centuries, the French version of our Lady Liberty has been depicted wearing the cap on stamps, paintings, sculpture, official seals, coins, and more to symbolize the “Triumph of the Republic.” Phrygian Cap a Symbol for Freedom. Before the French adopted this symbol of freedom, evidence confirms that American patriots, such as the Sons of Liberty, were wearing them years before the American Revolution. Historical accounts reveal that Revolutionary soldiers wore red Phrygian caps that were embroidered with freedom-themed quotes, like “Liberty or Death.” In more recent times, Latin American coins, such as the Pillar Dollar from the Mexico Mint, reveal the same meaningful symbolism of the Phrygian cap. Even today, it’s seen gracing U.S. State flags, and official government seals. Across time and territories, these coins attest to the ubiquity of this ancient yet powerful symbol—and its continuing relevance in our modern world. Cap of Mercury / The obverse depiction of a young Liberty identifiable by her winged Phrygian cap was confused with the Roman god Mercury. A flat brimmed hat bearing a pair of wings symbol of Mercury fleet-footed herald of the gods.Ancient statue of the antique god of commerce merchants and travelers Hermes (Mercury). He is alsow olympic gods messenger with wings on a helmet.

In Greek mythology Perseus' cap was often depicted as having wings. Hermes was able to fly round the world with the help of his winged helmet and boots. He lent these to Perseus to give him speed and agility and the power of flight. Wings are also symbols of divinity, so it's a way of expressing Perseus as a hero with divine support. Perhaps the way the hat is design it is meant to represent a mythical gryphon. Greek, lit. dog-skin of Hades) is a helmet or cap that possesses the ability to turn the wearer invisible. Also known as the Cap of Hades, Helm of Hades, or Helm of Darkness. The helm was used by numerous figures, including the goddess of wisdom, Athena, the messenger god, Hermes, and the hero, Perseus. The Cap of Invisibility enables the user to hide from the eyes of other supernatural beings, functioning much like the cloud or mist that the gods surround themselves in to become undetectable. Phrygian cap, soft felt or wool conical headdress fitting closely around the head and characterized by a pointed crown that curls forward. It originated in the ancient country of Phrygia in Anatolia and is represented in ancient Greek art as the type of headdress worn not only by Phrygians but by all inhabitants of Anatolia and of nations farther east. Perseus is wearing a Phrygian cap, not the helmet of Hermes. Variations in the different tellings of the legend are responsible for this. This is a representation of the swiftness and power of flight loaned to him by Hermes. We see multiple sculpture depictions a fantastic head with bovine ears and wearing a Phrygian cap with wings. This kind of soft, cloth cap was worn by the people of ancient Phrygia (modern central Turkey).