Etruscan Terracotta Veiled Head of a Youth

Hellenistic
3rd century BCE-2nd century BCE

8 1/8 in. x 6 5/16 in. x 4 1/2 in. (20.6 cm x 16.1 cm x 11.5 cm)

This object has the following keywords:

• Etruscan - Culture and style of artistic production in Etruria, now modern Tuscany and part of Umbria, between the 7th and 3rd centuries BCE. Known partly from elaborate tumuli, artworks include bronze mirrors and cists, wall paintings, and terracotta and bronze sculptures that are distinct from the Greek Archaic style in their lively sense of movement and delicate decoration. Developments in architecture include the construction of mud brick and wooden temples decorated with terracotta roof tiles and statues. In some classification schemes Etruscan culture includes the Villanovan culture, which was first evident on the Italian peninsula in the ninth century BCE.
• terracotta - A baked or semi-fired material that is usually a mixture of clay, grog, and water; it has been used for pottery, statuettes, lamps, roof tiles, and cornices since ancient times. It may be glazed prior to firing. To produce an item, terracotta is molded or shaped, dried for several days then fired to at least 600 C. It is fireproof, lighter in weight than stone, and usually brownish red in color.