The Scarecrow of Os: The Function of Antefixes, Oscilla, and Suspended Masks in the Roman Garden

Scare faces exist all over the world and have a long history. Scare faces are images in art (generally ceramic, carved, or stone sculptures, although they may be painted) that have large staring eyes set in an identifiable head. The more effective ones move, but there are many examples which are stationary. They are so ubiquitous that we have grown very used to them and in many cases have forgotten or never really consciously knew their practical function, which is to drive away birds (and possibly other pests) from otherwise tempting supplies of food or nesting sites. They are, in essence, scarecrows, but scarecrows of greater art and antiquity than the bucolic constructions we associate with that name.