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Etruscan

Pin (fibula), 700-600 BCE

Now On View

Description

Maker

Culture

Etruscan

Title

Pin (fibula)

Year

700-600 BCE

Medium

Gold

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Dimensions

Length: 9.8 cm (3 7/8 inches)

Place

Possibly; Vetulonia

Type

Credit

Museum Appropriation Fund

Object Number

30.051

Projects & Publications

Publications

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries

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.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Pin (fibula) with the accession number of 30.051. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.