Relief with masks of Polyphemus and Galatea

The two masks, sculpted in relief, depict the myth of the Cyclops Polyphemus' unrequited love for the nymph Galatea, a personification of sea foam. Polyphemus, identifiable for the eye in his forehead, is shown here as a shepherd with a crown of wheat and a syrinx (a musical instrument) whilst Galatea appears between the waves flanked by a dolphin. The panel was used as a decoration.