Imagine you are out for a walk in the park and you encounter this fellow. It could be the death mask of an ice-age human, with the huge nostrils for warming and moisturizing dry frigid air, but the goatee is not well-synchronized with the Middle Paleolithic. Clearly it has been borrowed from the fake beards worn by Egyptian kings; this pharaoh has straw for brains and sustained during his lifetime a grievous injury to his right eye.

I ran across this piece while strolling the arboretum across the road from the University of Kentucky in Lexington — about 15 years ago — and would give credit to the artist if I knew his or her name. It was exhibited among other scarecrows, most of whom fell far below the creativity and sophistication of this one.

I include a whimsical offering below. I liked the literal mophead of hair. I presume the pennies over the eyes will pay for transportation to the world beyond .