Large Fragment of an Etruscan Stair Slab Relief

Culture: Etruscan

Period: Early 6th century B.C.

Material: Limestone

Dimensions: 66 cm high

Price: 12 000 Euro

Ref: 4201

Provenance: From an old Swiss collection. Thence in a Belgian private collection, acquired in 1988 in the gallery Elsa Bloch-Diener in Bern, Switzerland. Last in the French art market. With a copy of the invoice.

Condition: Unrestored

Description: Large relief of volcanic Nenfro tuff which belonged to a stair slab relief (“Lastrone a Scala”). These earliest evidence of Etruscan sculptures and relief art from Tarquinia possibly served as door clasps of chamber tombs. The upper image area depicts a winged mixed creature with a rolled in fish tail and predator head, the lower image area a winged deity with long hair, raised arms and scimitar. The figures are framed by fluted strips, which intend to imitate twisted ribbons. At the break on the right side were the sculptural stairs, which owe the stair slab relief its name. See for reference the stair slab relief in the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg with the inventory number 1999.280, as well as the relief in the Museo archeologico nazionale in Tarquinia. On an old metal base.