Etruscan art 6th - 5th century BC Sources:

Mystery surrounds the Etruscans. No one knows where they originally came from and only a few of their "words" have ever been deciphered. They inhabited a region in western central Italy and this group of independent city states was at its peak from the 700s to the 400s B.C. Etruria gradually fell victim to the growing power of Rome. The artwork the Etruscans created was influenced by earlier Greek and eastern Mediterranean constructions. Even so, the Etruscans had a style and flair all their own. Much of the ceramicware and sculptures they spent hours working on were made specifically for funerary reasons --- not unlike the earlier Egyptians - and the pieces left behind show a great deal of passion and an intense love of life.

Etruscan Antefix

Etruscan, Caere, B.C. Originally surrounded by a large scalloped shell, a woman's head decorates this broken antefix or architectural decoration. The woman wears a diadem, earrings, a necklace, and a patterned dress. An artisan added bright paint to the molded terracotta head to emphasize the antefix's effect and visibility. Although this antefix is unusual because it is a bust of a figure, not just a head. The roof tiles running along the eaves of ancient Greek and Etruscan buildings often ended in upright members called antefixes. These mold- made terracottas often took the form of heads, either of humans or mythological creatures. As well as being decorative, architectural terracottas served to cover and protect exposed wooden parts of the architecture from the elements.

Gem in the Form of a Scarab Beetle

Unknown Etruscan, B.C. T he bearded male figure engraved on this gem is the hero Herakles, known in ancient Etruria as Hercle. With one hand, Herakles strangles a bird by its neck; in his other hand, he holds his club, which the gem-cutter has represented with five drill-holes. Under one foot, he tramples another bird. The hero is engaged in his fifth Labor, which required him to chase away or kill the troublesome birds—sometimes said to be man-eaters—that inhabited the region of Lake Stymphalos in Greece. This Labor is rarely depicted in Etruscan art, and this gem is the earliest Etruscan example of the myth. Etruscan gems often take the form of a scarab beetle, a shape derived from Phoenicia and Egypt. In the latter country, the scarab had religious meaning as an emblem of the sun. The wire mount attached to the scarab is modern.

Votive statuette of Herkle

Unknown Etruscan, B.C. Herkle, the Etruscan version of the Greek hero Herakles, is here depicted as a nude youth, standing relaxed with his weight on one foot. Originally his extended hand held a round object, perhaps an apple as a reference to the apples of the Hesperides, Herakles' last labor. The skin of the Nemean Lion confirms the hero's identity. Herkle wears the skin on his head with the front paws tied around his neck. By the late 300s or early 200s B.C., this depiction of Herakles wearing the lionskin over his head had gone out of favor in Greek art, but it remained popular among the Etruscans. This seemingly old-fashioned element in the statue is offset by the artist's knowledge of recent developments in Greek sculpture, as evidenced by the figure's contrappos contrapposto pose. Herkle was a very popular figure in Etruscan bronze statuary. A worshipper probably placed this statuette in an Etruscan sanctuary as an offering to the deity.

Statuette of a Bearded Man

Etruscan, about 480 B.C.Bronze This bearded man wears a tebenna, a semi-circular form of toga. He once held something in his left hand, which probably would have identified him. Lacking this object, his identity is open to question. He might be Tinia, the Etruscan equivalent of Zeus, the king of the gods; if so, he would have held a scepter or a thunderbolt. However, he could just as easily represent a worshipper or a priest. Small figures like this were often left at temples as an offering to the gods. This statuette was reportedly found in Piombino, Italy. Although his face and muscles are naturalistic, the bearded man is posed rigidly and his garment is arranged in an artificial manner. Such combinations of opposing stylistic traits are not unusual in Etruscan art. As an area rich in metal sources, Etruria produced large quantities of bronze statuettes.

Patera Handle in the Form of a Nude Winged Girl

Etruscan, B.C. A sculpted figure of a winged female deity called a Lasa forms this Etruscan patera handle. The patera is a vessel composed of a bowl-shaped element attached to a handle. Etruscans used a patera to pour water over their hands before sacrificing, but they may have also used it for general bathing. The woman holds an alabastron and is nude except for her shoes and jewelry. Scholars have difficulty interpreting this object because of uncertainty over both the identity of Lasa and the function of the patera. They dispute whether Lasa was a major deity in her own right or whether she was only a minor deity, most frequently an attendant of Turan, the Etruscan equivalent of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love

Statuette of a Seated African Boy

Etruscan, B.C. Resting his head in his hand, a young boy sits curled up on the ground. Through the rendering of hair and facial features, the artist characterized him as an African. The artist also carefully portrayed his poor physical and emotional condition: hunched back, prominent ribs, and dejected posture. Etruscan traders and sailors would have encountered Africans in their overseas trading. The Etruscans also kept slaves, some of whom were probably African, as the boy in this statue appears to be. Yet, most Etruscans would never have seen an African, and thus they played the role of infrequent, exotic curiosities in Etruscan art. The form of the statuette's base suggests that this figure once decorated the top of a candelabrum.

Antefix: Maenad and Satyr Dancing

Etruscan, B.C. A satyr and maenad dance in a Dionysiac revel on this Etruscan antefix. Antefixes were upright roof tiles, often decorated, set along the edges or eaves of the roofs of Greek and Etruscan buildings. As well as being decorative, architectural terracottas served to cover and protect exposed wooden parts of the architecture from the elements. The satyr's bulging eyes, snub nose, and pointed ears emphasize his bestial nature, while the drinking horn he carries points to his debauched nature. The maenad, holding krotala or castanets, draws away from the satyr somewhat yet does not actually resist his embraces. Said to come from Caere, this antefix is remarkable for the quantity of original paint it retains. The preserved red and black paint on the maenad’s dress conveys some sense of the original colorful decoration.

Statuette of a Youth Putting on His Cuirass

Etruscan, B.C. On this Etruscan bronze statuette, a young warrior puts on his armor. He grasps the shoulder flaps of his cuirass, pulling them forward in order to fasten them. The artist represented the cuirass in great detail, with rows of punched circles and semi-circles ornamenting its surface and a double row of pteryges or flaps along its lower edge. Peeking out from underneath the cuirass is the decorated hem of the youth's short tunic. The form of the statuette's base indicates that this youth once decorated the top of a candelabrum. The style of both the base and the youth's face suggest that the statuette was made in the city of Vulci.

Horse and Rider

Vulcian, Towards the middle of the 6th century B.C. The horseman's head and face are unfortunately sadly disfigured, his lower right leg and foot damaged. The horseman belongs to a group of funerary sculptures made to be placed at the entrance to tombs. The horse's mane, still visible on the right, was possibly braided on top.

Balsamarium

Balsamarium (female head) Etruscan, 3rd century B.C. Vessels in the shape of heads have been thought to represent Turan (Aphrodite) or Lasa. A lady's toilet article, they were probably used for scented substances, but also fulfilled a funerary function and accompanied the deceased to her tomb. These vessels, usually fairly stereotyped, have a somewhat boring expression in keeping with a mass-produced output - this example is unusual in its refinement and with its imperceptible evanescent smile is truly a delightful expression of feminity in Etruria.