Etruscan Terracotta Head of an Infant

Culture: Etruscan

Period: 6th century B.C.

Material: Terracotta

Dimensions: 13.4 cm high

Price: Sold

Ref: 4181

Provenance: From the Emily and Walter Mead collection, Santa Fe, USA, acquired between 1960 and 1990.

Condition: The back of the head with the cover reattached, otherwise very beautifully preserved.

Description: Charming terracotta head of an infant from an Etruscan sanctuary, possibly in Vulci. The infant with a friendly face, vigilant eyes between thick lids, the mouth formed into a smile and a childish snub nose as well as broad cheeks. The face is framed by a finely wavy cover. At the back it runs smoothly over the nape and the left shoulder, which is still preserved. Terracotta statuettes of swaddled infants such as the present one were found in various Etruscan sanctuaries. It is believed they represented both the wish for a child and the protection of the gods for a newborn. See for the typus the terracotta head of an infant, also with a wavy cover, from Vulci, today in the Villa Giulia in Rome, Italy.