Artifact – Antiquity – Bronze Offering Figurine – Etruscan – Archaeology – Bronze

Period: 3rd – 1st century BC. Origin: Italy – Etruria. Provenance: Formerly in a private collection in southern France, by inheritance, acquired before 1970. Antique bronze statuette representing a standing male figure in a ritual offering posture. The figure is depicted facing forward, in a solemn and hieratic attitude. He wears a draped cloak covering his left shoulder and arm, while his right arm is extended forward, holding a patera, a ritual dish used for libations. His head is surmounted by a stylized radiate crown composed of leaves, a symbolic attribute referring to a solar, heroic, or divine dimension, characteristic of late Etruscan votive iconography. The face is rendered in a simplified manner, with the essential features simply indicated, in a stylization typical of Etruscan art between the Hellenistic period and the beginnings of Romanization. The drapery is rendered with fluidity and clarity, featuring a play of vertical folds descending along the side. The body is depicted in full volumes, with a pronounced frontality. The whole corresponds perfectly to the typologies of offering statuettes from Etruscan sanctuaries and votive contexts. The surface displays a dark brown archaeological patina with olive-green highlights, containing mineral deposits, micro-concretions, and ancient oxidations, perfectly consistent with prolonged burial. The wear is even and uniform, without any trace of modern restoration. Description: Material: Antique bronze. Shape: Standing male figure in an offering pose. Decoration: Draped cloak, patera (swaddling cloth), radiating wreath of leaves. Surface: Dark archaeological patina, ancient oxidations and concretions. Technical features: Antique casting, even wear, no visible modern repairs. Use: This type of statuette was intended for votive offerings in Etruscan sanctuaries, as a gift to deities within the framework of cultic practices related to protection, prosperity, health, or requests for divine favor. The presence of the patera explicitly refers to the libation ritual. Condition: Consistent ancient wear, stable archaeological patina, no modern restoration. Dimensions: Height: 6.5 cm. All deliveries are made via DHL Express only.