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Etruscan Terracotta Warriors

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Etruscan Terracotta Warriors THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART ETRUSCAN TERRACOTTA WARRIORS IN THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART BY GISELA M. A. RICHTER Published occasionally by THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART ' Fifth Avenue & 82d St • N. Y. ETRUSCAN TERRACOTTA WARRIORS IN THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART ETRUSCAN TERRACOTTA WARRIORS IN THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART BY GISELA M. A. RICHTER % * * WITH A REPORT ON STRUCTURE AND TECHNIQUE BY CHARLES F. BINNS Papers • No. 6 THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART NEW YORK • 1937 Copyright by The Metropolitan Museum of Art 1937 CO en CO T— ETRUSCAN TERRACOTTA WARRIORS THE DISCOVERY of the Apollo of Veii conqueror. They reflect the dauntless spirit of in 19161 was hailed as confirming in spectac­ Etruria at the time of her greatest military ular fashion the tradition of Etruria as a great strength. center for monumental sculpture in terra­ And in another way these statues enlarge cotta. The frequent mention by Latin writers the experience given us by the group of the of terracotta statues in Etruria in terms of Veii Apollo. They present us with new exam­ wonder and admiration was shown to have ples of polychrome terracotta statues on a large been founded on fact, not fancy. More re­ scale. Before the Apollo was found, our knowl­ cently our knowledge of such Etruscan sculp­ edge of such sculpture had been confined to tures has been greatly enlarged by the three temple revetments, to a few fragments of warriors acquired by the Metropolitan Mu­ larger figures, and to life-size reclining figures seum, which have given us a new vision of on sarcophagi (see p. 11). But in our warriors Etruria in the late archaic period. They show we have further large, well-preserved, stand­ us more forcibly than anything has heretofore ing statues, boldly modeled in the round and her triumphant strength during her prime. still resplendent in their original colors. And For at the end of the sixth and the beginning one example is of colossal scale. We read with of the fifth century — the approximate period new appreciation Pliny's estimate of Etruscan of these sculptures — Etruria was at the acme terracottas: "These were the most magnificent of her power. Her kings, the Tarquins, had statues known in those days. The admira­ been rulers of Rome,2 her empire extended ble execution of these figures, their artistic from the Alps to southern Campania,3 her merits, and their durability make them more ships were feared at sea. Soon afterwards came worthy of honour than gold."5 clashes with Rome (about 485 - 475 B.C.), the As was pointed out in a preliminary report defeat at Cumae by the Syracusans (474), the in the Metropolitan Museum Bulletin, our invasion by the Gauls (about 400). Slowly the (1) Cf. the splendid publication of this statue and the power of Etruria crumbled, her territory con­ fragments belonging to the same group by G. Q. Giglioli, tracted, her art degenerated. After another Antike Denkmaeler, in (Berlin, 1926), pp. 53 ff., pis. 45-55; also idem, Rassegna d'arte, vn (1920), pp. 33 ff., two centuries Etruria — as an independent and Notizie degli scavi di antichitd, comunicate alia R. state with an individual culture — existed no Accademia deiLincei, 1919, pp. 13-37, P's- 1_7- more; she had become merged into the Roman (2) H. Last, in The Cambridge Ancient History, VII (Cambridge, 1928), pp. 388 ff., 398. federation. But at the time of the Veii Apollo (3) Livy 1.11. 5: "The renown of their name filled the and of our warriors Etruria was the greatest whole length of Italy from the Alps to the Italian strait." power in Italy. She was strong and gay and tri­ (Quoted by D. Randall-Maclver.) (4) Cf. the good photographic views in F. Weege, umphant. Her exuberant spirits are reflected Etruskische Malerei (Halle, 1921) and the colored repro­ in the dances and banquet scenes of the tombs ductions in P. Duell, "La Tomba del Triclinio at Tar­ at Tarquinia.4 In our warriors we become ac­ quinia," Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, vi (1927), pp. 1 ff. quainted with a different temper — that of the (5) N.H. xxxv. 157-158 (tr. Jex-Blake). terracotta sculptures, though not put on ex­ and elongated — and a colossal head from a hibition until 1933, were purchased many third statue. We shall begin our description years ago (in 1915, 1916, and 1921). The with the heroic-size statue, then pass on to the credit for their acquisition belongs to the late closely related colossal head, and lastly deal John Marshall, by whose good offices they with the life-size statue.6 were obtained in Paris, and the late Edward Robinson, who directed the Museum and the (6) I have had the advantage of discussing various Classical Department at the time. The sculp­ problems presented by these statues — especially their chronology — with several of my colleagues. I want to tures consist of two statues of warriors — one acknowledge particularly the help given me by Valentin of heroic size and stocky, the other life-size Miiller. STATUE OF A WARRIOR OF HEROIC SIZE (PLATES I-XIV) A LONG-HAIRED warrior, bearded but i/2 in. (1.3 cm.) in diameter, for the fastening without mustache, is represented lunging for­ of the shield, which was held horizontally. ward, his body turned toward the right, the The weapon in the right hand was probably left arm outstretched to hold a shield, the a sword, with the blade projecting backward3; other raised for attack.1 His hair is arranged had it been a spear, the clenched hand would in three groups of wavy locks, six in the mid­ have been held with the opening parallel to dle, four on either side; one group is brought the direction of the body, as it is in the bronze over to the front. He wears a cuirass over a statuette of a warrior from Dodona (see p. 10; tight-fitting, foldless chiton, greaves, and a pi. in B). Other, less likely, possibilities are a Corinthian helmet with an enormous crest. thunderbolt4 and an ax.5 The shield (which was perhaps of bronze or The effect of the figure is greatly enhanced wood and either round or of the so-called by its polychrome decoration. The whole sur­ Boeotian type2; see pi. in A) is missing. Only face is covered with a brownish black coating, the center strap and attachment, which were evidently a fusible slip clay which in the firing made in one piece with the arm, are preserved; has become a semiglaze; it is finely crazed all on the attachment are two round holes, about over and has a sheen.6 Over this have been ap- (1) Ace. no. 21.195. Kennedy Fund. H. (without (2) Both forms of shield appear on our Etruscan plinth): with crest 8 ft. 14 in. (2.445 m-)> without crest bronze chariot; cf. G. M. A. Richter, Greek, Etruscan, and 6 ft. 7S,£ in. (2.026 m.); h. of head 1 ft. 1 3/16 in. (.335 m.); Roman Bronzes (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) h. of head with neck 1 ft. 53^ in. (.441 m.); distance from (New York, 1915), p. 20, no. 40. eye to chin 8s/ in. (.22 m.); thickness of plinth 2 to 3 in. 8 (3) For figures wielding swords in approximately this (5.1 to 7.6 cm.). The provenance is said to have been cen­ position cf. e. g. the Athena on the Caeretan hydria in the tral Italy. Louvre (A. B. Cook, Zeus, 11 [Cambridge, 1925], pi. xxx), The statue has been reconstructed from 78 pieces (see the warrior on our Etruscan amphora ace. no. 10.210.9 pi. xiv), but this number includes the parts of the plinth (Case 9 of the Etruscan Gallery), and the warriors on late and of the crest; the figure itself was in only 10 pieces — Etruscan urns (e.g. our ace. nos. G.R. 1037, 1038 [Pedes­ the head, the torso including both thighs, the arms, the tals 28 and 30 of the Etruscan Gallery], and G. Korte, / left shoulder, the left hand, the legs from knee to ankle, Rilievi delle urne etrusche [Rome and Berlin, 1896], 11, and the feet. The net weight of the fragments was close pi. LXXIV, 2). Perhaps in the case of our warrior the sword to 800 pounds. The only missing parts are the tip of the was curved like that of the warrior from the akroterion of left thumb and slivers at the junctures of the fragments; Sassi Caduti (Falerii) (cf. A. della Seta, Museo di Villa the latter have been added in plaster and colored. The Giulia [Rome, 1918], 1, pi. xxxiv)—:a figure which has brass support between the legs is, of course, modern. The many points of contact with ours. plinth — what is left of it — has been embedded in a modern cement base. (4) Cf. Cook. loc. cit.; and p. 9 below. Described and illustrated in Bulletin of The Metropoli­ (5) Cf. the warrior on the stele from Vetulonia (P. tan Museum of Art, xxvm (1933), pp. 29 f., fig. 4; J. Ducati, Storia dell' arte etrusca [Florence, 1927], n, pi. 61, Pijoan, Summa artis, v (1934), pp. 58 f., fig. 64. Mentioned no. 190), and the deity on our Pontic vase ace. no. in H. McClees, The Daily Life of the Greeks and Romans 06.1021.46 (Case 11 of the Etruscan Gallery). (New York, 1933), p. 81; D. M. Robinson, American Jour­ nal of Archaeology, xxxvm (1934), p.
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