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Etruscan Gold: Regolini-Galassi Tomb - Gold Pectoral

Together with the fibula, this breastplate was worn by the deceased woman in the end cell who thus appeared to the amazed discoverers as literally covered in gold. 

It consists of a single laminated sheet shaped and decorated with embossed work with a series of 16 different punches. The decoration is divided into strips that follow the margins, going around the central emblem, and are characterized by the serial repetition of the same motif. Starting from the outer strip we see the following series of illustrations: broken line; grazing male ibex; winged lion; chimera with two protomes; pegasus; rear view of lion; grazing deer; woman in a tunic with a palm frond; winged lion, winged woman, lion. In the central emblem: semicircular decorations with overlapping spirals and stems, winged lions, women with palms and four male figures, each holding the front paws of a pair of rampant lions.

Cerveteri, Regolini Galassi Tomb
mid 7th cent. BC
gold
max width cm 38.1; max height cm 42.0