The sphinx. A legendary creature from the mythology of ancient Greece.
It has the head of a woman, the body of a lion, and the wings of a bird. These
magical beasts were thought of as guardians who looked over buildings and tombs. They have
captured imaginations for thousands of years. They are well known for their mythical body,
their power of transformation, and the famous "riddle of the sphinx."
This terracotta statue of a woman's head in The Met's Greek and Roman galleries was probably
created with the body of a sphinx, and, like the legendary creature, it has a riddle to solve as
well: Where did... this come from??? [Record Scratch]
This sphinx, made from fired clay, is growing ear hair.
How is that possible? If we want to find out, then first we'll need to learn about crystals.
Crystals are solid materials with regular, repeating units. And those units can be atoms,
molecules, or ions... what is important is that they repeat in a regular way.
Crystals are everywhere–in rocks and sediments on Earth, and even in objects found in outer space
like meteorites. Examples of crystals can be found in art in almost every corner of The Met. In the
eyes of an Ancient Egyptian cat... ...to this bottle from China...
...to the colors in a glass cup made in Italy. Studying crystals at the Museum allows us to solve
all kinds of mysteries, like where an object is from, when it was made, and, most importantly,
how to protect it. Crystals are constantly changing, almost like they're alive. The
interaction between works of art and their environment can stimulate the growth of new
crystalline structures, such as salts—a kind of crystal. In the Museum, we need to make sure that
their growth won't damage the works of art. No... not that salt. Wait, no... yes. Table
salt is also a type of salt. Sorry about that. Where was I?
Salts can change the appearance of different objects.
Have you ever seen copper turn green? That color is from copper salts that form on the metal.
When silver eventually loses its shine? That's because of silver salts. And ancient sculptures
are known to form a green salt called malachite, which is itself a highly valued mineral.
Like the sphinx head, this vase is made from terracotta, or fired clay. Ceramic objects
with too much salt built up inside can even crack from the strain.
At The Met, we prevent further damage by studying objects and controlling the
environmental conditions around them. Okay, but why does that mean that a statue made
from clay minerals can grow ear hair? Well... -Salts might form on the surface of an object
because of changes in environmental conditions. For example, different parts of the terracotta
could form salts if they find the right conditions. Each of those slender fibers
is a single, very thin, thread-like crystal. Crystals can have so many different forms and
shapes and sizes. In fact, you might encounter a crystal so fine and tiny that you might not
even be able to see it with your naked eye. And right next to it could be a work of art
carved out of a very large, single crystal! There you have it. These ear hairs are thin,
beautiful crystals. After a long period of time, many statues become damaged. Because
of the science of geology, crystals, and salts, they sometimes come back together
in whole new ways–even if it means needing a quick trim every once in a while.