Mystery surrounds the Etruscans. No one knows where they originally came from and only a few of their "words" have ever been deciphered. What we do know is that the artwork the Etruscans created was influenced by earlier Greek and eastern Mediterranean constructions. Even so, the Etruscans had a style and flair all their own. Much of the ceramicware and sculptures they spent hours working on were made specifically for funerary reasons --- not unlike the earlier Egyptians - and the pieces left behind show a great deal of passion and an intense love of life.

This is sculpture shown above is Apollo from the roof of the Portonaccio Temple at Veii dating back to approximately 510-500 B.C. It stands at approximately 5'11". It is a life-size terracotta image of the god. It looks a lot like Greek sculpture from the Archaic period what with that tell-tale convention of the "Archaic smile." It is very animated and his arms are extended.

This is the Sarcophagus with recling couple froom the Cerveteri dating back to around 520 B.C. It came from a tomb in the Cerveteri necropolis. The pice was cast in four sections and then joined. The married couple on the couch suggests that women were considered to be mens' equals. They are seated in an awkward, unnatural position and there exists obvious feeling between the two.

This is the Interior of the Tomb of the Reliefs at Cerveteri dating back to the third century B.C. It was meant to acommodate several generations of a single family. The walls and piers of this tomb were, as usual, fashioned out of the tufabedrock. The tools, mirrors, drinking cups, pitchers and knives effectively suggest a domestic context. Also, the stone is covered in stucco reliefs.

This is the Chimera of Arezzo which dates back to the first half of the fourth century B.C. It was fashioned from bronze and is a monster of Greek invention which had the head and body of a lion with the tail of a serpent. In addition to its lion head, it had a goat's head growing out of the left side of its lion body. The chimera has just been attacked, so he is shown letting out a ferocious cry.

Pictured to the right is Aule Metele (Arringotore, Orator) from Sanguineto dating back to the early first century B.C. It too is carved from bronze and stands at a realistic height of 5'7". He is a portrayed as a magistrate raising his arm to address an assembly, hence his nickname "the Orator." The Etruscans were expert bronze casters. He is dressed like a Roman magistrate, and his head looks like a Roman head (at that time.) Later, Aule Metele and his compatriots became Romans, and Etruscan art became Roman art.