Ornate gold brooch with crescent-shaped domed head and long slender pin end, decorated with finely beaded swirling patterns and animals, set against a deep blue background.
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Unknown Maker, Etruscan

Pin (fibula)
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Etruscan

Culture

Etruscan

Title

Pin (fibula)

Period

Orientalizing period

Year

700-600 BCE

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

gold

Geography

Archaeological Site: possibly; Archaeological Site: Vetulonia

Dimensions

Length: 9.8 cm (3 7/8 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Appropriation Fund

Object Number

30.051

Type

Publications

Exhibition History

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries
Sep 22, 2010

Label copy

This pin (fibula), used for closing or securing garments, is a masterpiece of ancient gold-working. Tiny animals and figures, mythical and real, cover the pin. They were formed using tiny beads of gold (a process called granulation) fashioned in a fluid, curving style reminiscent of pottery of the 7th century BCE, when the Etruscans reached the height of their technical virtuosity in granulation. In the center of the decoration is a figure common in Etruscan art: the master of the beasts, a winged man with two faces. The figure originated in the Near East and became especially prominent in Etruscan art during this period.

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Etruscan
Pin (fibula), 700-600 BCE
Gold
Length: 9.8 cm (3 7/8 inches)
Museum Appropriation Fund 30.051

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