Zeus akrokeramon – antefix

Antique ceramic akrokeramon – antefix. It is said that the bearded male face decorating the akrokeramon represents ancient greek god Zeus.

Akrokeramon is the special tile that has a vertical decorated surface. It was placed at the ends of a tiled roof, in front of the last tile of each row, as well as at the top of a pitched roof, at the point where the tiles join. Apart from being decorative, the akrokeramon also had a practical character as they prevented the rain from entering the roof and the wind from blowing away the rest of the tiles. At the same time, they blocked the entrance of birds and snakes to the roof, preventing them from creating nests.

From the 1890s.