ETRUSCAN BRONZE SITULA WITH XRF TEST

ETRUSCAN BRONZE SITULA WITH XRF TEST
Ca. 330 - 300 BC. A massive bronze situla decorated with numerous cast elements. The vertical handle of the vessel is in the form of the god Apollo, standing naked with a quiver of arrows fastened to his back. The spout of the situla is designed in the form of a gryphon eating a horse, with the opening itself formed from the hoof of the horse’s hind leg. The gryphons of Greek mythology had a hatred of horses which stemmed from their war against the mythological Arimaspians, a notably equestrian race. The handle is attached to loops in the form of rosettes and the flat lid is decorated with a figure of a panther eating a deer. The legs of the situla are decorated with the figures of reclining panthers resting on pedestals. For similar see: The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Accession Number 91.228a-b.Size: 47cm x 47cm; Weight: 8.3kg. Provenance: Property of a European collector; previously in a private Belgian collection since 2013; Ex. Elsa Bloch-Diener (1922-2012) collection, Bern, 1969. Accompanied by a copy of the original invoice from 1969 and a certificate from 1989. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.