A herm is a rectangular pillar that widens towards the top and is crowned by a sculpted head or bust. The shaft is usually plain and has no arms or legs; only the upper part is worked into a figure.
Origin
The herm takes its name from the Greek god Hermes. In ancient Greece, such pillars stood as boundary and road markers and at house entrances, where they had a protective role. Later they became a purely decorative motif.
Characteristics
- Tapering shaft — narrower at the foot, wider towards the top
- Crowning head — a portrait, deity or allegorical figure
- No limbs — the body merges into a plain pillar
- Often in pairs — left and right of an entrance or niche
Application
From the Renaissance onwards, the herm returned as a popular architectural ornament:
- Facades — as decoration beside entrances and windows
- Gardens — as a free-standing figure along paths
- Interiors — at fireplaces, staircases and panelling
- Furniture — as a support or corner post on cabinets and tables
When two herms together carry a beam or cornice, they play both a supporting and a decorative role, much like a caryatid or atlas.
Related terms
- Caryatid
- Atlas
- Pilaster
- Ornament
- Renaissance
- Column
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