- chapter 57: The tradition of votive bronzes in Etruria –
in a suburban sanctuary along the road to Fiesole by an individual aristocrat or by a
group.^12 On the basis of stylistic comparisons with the art of Greece and Magna Graecia
from the late fi fth-century bc, the Chimaera enters into the Atticizing sphere and has
therefore been dated to the early fourth century bc. The hypothesis has been proposed
that the statue was made in Arezzo by a group of artisans representing the craftsmanship
of Greece and Italy, and of southern Etruria, as documented by the letterforms used in the
inscription executed before the statue was cast.^13
We know from the archival documents that the Chimaera was discovered together
with a large number of small bronzes representing young men and bearded men, birds
and other animals, in fact, constituting a true votive deposit. Recently, Maggiani has
discovered the bronze statuettes in the old Medici collections of the Uffi zi galleries in
Florence, which formed part of the deposit with the Chimaera: a statuette of Tinia (third
century bc) (Figure 57.4a), a young worshipper with pallium (Figure 57.4b), and a griffi n
(fourth century bc).^14
Figure 57.3a–c Archaic statuette of bovine. Arezzo, Museo Archeologico Nazionale Mecenate.
Inv. no. 11524 (after Maetzke 1987). Rooster from Arezzo: Fonte Veneziana (fi fth century bc).
Florence, Museo Archeologico Nazionale. Inv. 544 (after Scarpellini 2007, 47, fi g.7). Statuette of
wild boar from Arezzo: Fonte Veneziana (fi fth century bc) Florence, Museo Archeologico Nazionale.
Inv. no. 470 (after Scarpellini 2009B, 28).Figure 57.4a–b Statuette of Tinia from Arezzo: votive deposit of Chimaera (third century bc).
Florence, Museo Archeologico Nazionale. Inv. no. 15 (after Etruschi nel tempo, 4). Young male
worshipper from Arezzo: votive deposit of Chimaera (late fourth century bc). Florence,
Museo Archeologico Nazionale. Inv. no. 4 (after Etruschi nel tempo, 5).