What exactly are these monk faces shown at the top of this page?

They are relief concrete ornaments that are on the main City Hall in Ventura, California, USA (only one block from his old law office, up the hill), where Erle Stanley Gardner defended his cases in the 1920's. At that time it was known as the Ventura Country Courthouse. At one time the City of Ventura was undertaking to demolish this magnificent building, that was designed by the same person who designed Groman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.  Public protest stopped this action, but much marble was used for scrap in the interim. The same government attitude towards Erle Stanley Gardner prevails in Ventura to this very day. Why? I don't know. One may perhaps find the answer in  the Bible - there is something about a prophet having no honour in his own town. Is is a bit odd, to be sure.