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Unknown Maker, Etruscan

Relief Fragment of a lion's head
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Etruscan

Culture

Etruscan

Title

Relief Fragment of a lion's head

Period

Ancient

Year

5th-3rd century BCE

Medium

  • terracotta

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • terracotta

Materials

clay products

Dimensions

14 x 17.8 cm (5 1/2 x 7 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Georgianna Sayles Aldrich Fund

Object Number

1988.003

Type

  • Sculpture

Exhibition History

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries
Sep 22, 2010

Label copy

Though in fragmentary condition, this lion’s head with a flame-like mane, furrowed forehead, and blazing eyes retains its original striking presence. Lions were considered guardians in the ancient world, and similar lion’s heads were commonly used as water spouts or ornamental rooftop decorations (antefixes). However, the use of this piece is rather enigmatic; the mouth lacks a hole, ruling out its function as a water spout. The border of the relief indicates that roof adornment was not its function. Parallel lions’ heads may have decorated Etruscan sarcophagi or funeral couches, though no intact examples of these have survived.

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

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
Relief Fragment of a lion's head, 5th-3rd century BCE
Terracotta
14 x 17.8 cm (5 1/2 x 7 inches)
Georgianna Sayles Aldrich Fund 1988.003

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

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