Etruscan bronze statuette of a warrior
€2,400
available
Object number
AR3479
| Object: |
Etruscan bronze statuette of a young warrior
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| Material: |
Solid bronze.
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| Period: |
Late 6th century BC to 5th century BC, late Archaic Period, Italic Iron Age. |
| Description: |
The statuette shows a warrior with elongated limbs and a helmet with an oversized plume. The young man stands upright and naked, his left leg taking a large step forward, his arms pointing downwards supporting the movement. The body is cast in solid bronze. The face, nipples and navel are added in cold work techniques.
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| Background: |
Small warrior figures of this type were popular during the 6th and 5th centuries BCE in Umbria, a region in Italy. They were probably placed as votive offerings at places of worship. However, hoard finds are also known. In addition to this local use, archaeological evidence shows that the figures were exported as far as Spain. Whether they represented a human warrior or a god such as the Etruscan war god Laran (corresponding to the Roman Ares or the Greek Mars) is still unclear.
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| Dimensions: |
8.0cm high.
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| Condition: |
Right forearm and left hand missing. Small damages distributed over the body, particularly the feet and the front tip of the helmet plume are damaged. Overall very good condition. Matching modern stand, consisting of wire for hanging the figure and a black lacquered base.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2023 on the German art market. In German private ownership since the 2000s. Previously in the Swiss collection of Dr. Marcel Ebnöther (1920-2008). Acquired in the 1970s or 1980s. The important Dr. Marcel Ebnöther collection comprised more than 6,000 archaeological objects and was acknowledged by famous archaeologists such as Dr. Walter Alva. The collection encompassed the entire spectrum of human creation and was intended to shed light on central questions of human life. The majority of the collection was donated to the city of Schaffhausen in 1991. However, some particularly valued objects, such as this warrior statuette, remained with Dr. Ebnöther and did not return to the art cycle until the late 2000s. |
| References: |
Two almost identical figures are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, acc. nos. 2021.40.48 and 2021.40.49. Also see Cincinnati Art Museum, acc. no. 1906.40, and see Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte, Eisenzeit Eisenzeit – Europa ohne Grenzen (10.11.2020). For a slightly better preserved example on the art market, see Christie's New York auction 5 December 2012, lot 55, estimated at 6,000 to 8,000 USD, sold for 40,000 USD (equivalent to approximately 38,000 EUR at the time), which shows that these figures are in great demand on the art market. |
| Literature: |
A short treatise on warrior figures of this type from the Ebnöther collection can be found in E. Napoli, L'art des peuples italiques, p. 249.
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| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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