- chapter 60: Animals in the Etruscan household –
Figure 60.3 Examples of Etruscan bird motifs on an array of different artifacts and diverse materials
(see text and Table 60.2 for more details). Source: Images 1, 2 and 12 are of items on display at the
National Museum of Copenhagen, Denmark. Image 4 is of a wall painting on display at Ny Carlsberg
Glyptotek, Copenhagen. The remaining objects are to be found on display in the British Museum as part
of the Etruscan Gallery © http://www.bmmadsen.dkBritish Museum). An example of this Etruscan animal motif is to be found on the bronze
censer with shaft depicting a satyr that was found at Todi (circa 400 bc), four doves
adorn the corners of the incense cup at the top (Villa Giulia, Rome: doves on the cup
are favorites: see Haynes 1985, nos. 170, 181, 182, 184, fourth–third centuries bc) (see
Figure 60.3 no. 9). Another example is the detail of the wall painting from the Golini
II tomb at Orvieto (circa 300 bc, Steingräber 1985: 279 no. 33), which has now been
detached and is on display in Florence. This painting shows a dove seated on a footstool.
Then there is the balsamarium in the form of a dove that was found in the Necropoli di
Monte Abatone (tomb 264) (circa 400–300 bc), which is currently on display in the
Museo Nazionale Cerite. Finally, I should mention the dove on an Etruscan red-fi gured
vase (circa 300 bc) to be found in Figure 52.13, which originally had a purple beak,
although this has now vanished with time.
The owl was consecrated to Minerva (Minerva-Athena), and is a nocturnal predator
that sees in the darkness. It was therefore a symbol of secret acquaintance and of generic
wisdom. I have only come across a few examples of this Etruscan animal motif, and one
may well be Faliscan in origin. It is of a red-fi gured calyx krater that is Faliscan-Caeretan
in origin (circa 400 bc) and it depicts the Gods struggling for the possession of Athens
with an owl fl ying above. Another object with this motif is a jug in superimposed color
in the University of Pennsylvania Museum: a red painted and plump owl motif appears
on the neck, in loose imitation of Attic red-fi gured owl-vases (see Beazley 1947: 201,
E). Finally, I recently found a very cheeky looking owl sitting on the tail of a winged
lion as part of the decoration of a red olpe (circa 600 bc) in the collection of the National
Archaeological Museum of Florence (No. 71015–71016) said to have been manufactured
in Etruria or Corinth.