Gardners Art through the Ages A Global History

During the eighth and seventh centuries BCE, the Etruscans, as
highly skilled seafarers, enriched themselves through trade abroad.
By the sixth century, they controlled most of northern and central
Italy from such strongholds as Tarquinia (ancient Tarquinii),
Cerveteri (Caere), Vulci, and Veii. But these cities never united to
form a state, so it is inaccurate to speak of an Etruscan “nation” or
“kingdom,” only of Etruria, the territory the Etruscans occupied.
Their cities coexisted, flourishing or fading independently. Any sem-
blance of unity among them was based primarily on common lin-
guistic ties and religious beliefs and practices. This lack of political
cohesion eventually made the Etruscans relatively easy prey for the
Romans.

Early Etruscan Art

Although recognizing the distinctive character of Etruscan painting,
sculpture, and architecture, art historians still usually divide the his-
tory of Etruscan art into periods mirroring those of Greek art. The
seventh century BCEis the Orientalizing period of Etruscan art (fol-
lowed by Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods).

Orientalizing Art

During the seventh century BCE, the Etruscans successfully mined
iron, tin, copper, and silver, creating great mineral wealth that trans-
formed Etruscan society. Villages with agriculturally based econo-

mies gave way to prosperous cities engaged in international com-

merce. Elite families could afford to acquire foreign goods, and

Etruscan aristocrats quickly developed a taste for luxury objects in-

corporating Eastern motifs. To satisfy the demand, local artisans,

inspired by imported goods, produced magnificent objects for both

homes and tombs. As in Greece at the same time, the locally pro-

duced Orientalizing artifacts cannot be mistaken for their foreign

models.

REGOLINI-GALASSI TOMBAbout 650–640 BCE, a wealthy

Etruscan family stocked the so-called Regolini-Galassi Tomb

(named for its excavators) at Cerveteri with bronze cauldrons and

gold jewelry of Etruscan manufacture and Orientalizing style. The

most spectacular of the many luxurious objects in the family tomb is

a golden fibula (clasp or safety pin;FIG. 9-2) of unique shape used to

fasten a woman’s gown at the shoulder. The giant fibula is in the

Italic tradition, but the five lions that stride across the gold surface

are motifs originating in the Orient. The technique, also emulating

Eastern imports, is masterful, combining repoussé(hammered re-

lief ) and granulation (the fusing of tiny metal balls, or granules, to a

metal surface). The Regolini-Galassi fibula equals or exceeds in qual-

ity anything that might have served as a model.

224 Chapter 9 THE ETRUSCANS

MAP9-1Italy in Etruscan times.

Villanova

Arezzo

Chiusi Perugia

Vulci

Tarquinia

Cerveteri Veii

Rome Palestrina

Paestum

Cumae

Syracuse

Mediterranean

Sea

Mediterranean

Sea

Tyrrhenian

Sea

Tyrrhenian

Sea

Ligurian

Sea

Ligurian

Sea

Adriatic

Sea

Adriatic

Sea

Ionian

Sea

Ionian

Sea

L. Trasimeno

PoR.

iT

be

rR

.

ArnoR.

Sardinia

Corsica

Sicily

ITALY

0 100 200 miles

0 100 200 kilometers

9-2Fibula with Orientalizing lions, from the Regolini-Galassi Tomb,

Cerveteri, Italy, ca. 650–640 bce.Gold, 1^1 – 2 high. Musei Vaticani, Rome.

This huge gold pin found with other Orientalizing jewelry in a Cerveteri

tomb combines repoussé and granulation and is the work of an

Etruscan artist, but the lions are Near Eastern motifs.

1 in.