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“Taitale,” Daedalus’s name in Etruscan. On the other side is Medea with
her cauldron, inscribed with her Etruscan name “Metaia.” This unique
pairing of Daedalus and Medea is unparalleled in ancient art; it suggests
that the Etruscans linked these two mythical figures because of their
wondrous biotechne.
Many Etruscan carved gems depict Daedalus/Taitale at work. An-
other unusual Etruscan artifact, a beautiful golden bulla (locket, 475 BC)
is decorated with images of Daedalus and Icarus on each side, labeled
with their Etruscan names, Taitale and Vikare. They are wearing their
wings and carrying tools (saw, adze, axe, and square), details that em-
phasize craftsmanship and technology.
Fig. 4.7. Daedalus hovering over the body of Icarus fallen on the shore, an eighteenth- century
drawing of an ancient mural, Pompeii, first century AD. Ann Ronan Picture Library, London,
HIP / Art Resource, NY.