Unsolved mysteries

Unearthing the Etruscan civilization at FAM

by Leon Nigrosh

L'OMBRA DELLA SERA: ETRUSCAN SCULPTURES At the Fitchburg Art Museum, 185 Elm Street, Fitchburg, through January 17, 1999.

The 5th century BC Greek historian, Herodotus could only surmise that the Etruscans had emigrated around 800 BC from somewhere in Asia Minor to an area encompassing what is now Tuscany. They left virtually no written documentation, and what little has been discovered is still indecipherable even with today's cryptographic techniques. The famous ancient Greek scholar Dionysius of Halicarnassus wrote that they were an ancient people unlike any other in language or lore and remain a lost culture whose origins and language are cloaked in mystery. They survived as a separate entity for a mere 800 years -- at one time conquering and ruling Rome -- until the first century BC, when they were completely assimilated into the newly dominant Roman culture. Today, they remain an enigma -- a bit of myth and a lot of science fiction.

There were, however, at least two things that the Etruscans did well -- bury their dead and make incredible works of art. It is the confluence of these acts that is being celebrated in the exhibition of Etruscan sculpture currently on display in the newly renovated galleries at the Fitchburg Art Museum. On June 12, 1996, an ancient Etruscan soldier's tomb was uncovered in the quiet town of Volterra, Italy. Following the custom of his time, the soldier's cremated remains were interred with various household goods and implements of battle. Judging from the quality and type of objects found, scholars believe the former owner had been a member of the upper ranks of society.

A remarkably preserved crested bronze helmet showcased here is richly decorated with chased geometric designs and tooled birds that befit a man of his station. The magnificent spade-like metal crest may have been embellished with a horsehair tuft, long since decomposed. It is thought that this helmet may have served as the cover for the warrior's cinerary urn. A laminated bronze flask, similarly decorated with circles and crests of raised dots, is particularly noteworthy because of its unusual double spout design. And a bronze horse's bit belies its mundane purpose when you notice the handwork and creativity involved in the tiny, equine images worked onto either side of the mouthpiece.

Two small 3rd century BC votive images of water carriers serve to tantalize the imagination. Both figures were expertly cast in bronze at the same foundry. But while one is rendered with normal human proportions, the other is just as skillfully modeled into a greatly attenuated, slender caricature. This is not just some artisan's rebellious act against convention, but it is apparently linked to an as yet undiscovered religious precept. This type of elongated human effigy form has been unearthed at several sites known for their devotional significance.

In fact, the exhibit's centerpiece, the Ombra della sera (meaning "Shadow of the Night") is an elongated figure of a nude young man standing nearly two feet tall. Modeled in full fusion bronze sometime during the 3rd century BC, the sculpture, more aptly it's intended use, remains a mystery. (One story has it being used as a fire poker.) Regardless of its previous utility, the figure, with its long arms and legs, is one of engaging gracefulness and innocence, with a seductive undercurrent. One can easily consider this figure as if it were a smoothed-over version of Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti's lanky bronze figures from the mid-20th century, only produced 2300 years earlier.

Although this connoisseur's exhibition contains only 23 pieces, it presents the museum with an opportunity to exhibit one of its own recent acquisitions, a 6th century BC Etruscan oinochoe in unbelievably fine condition. This two-foot-tall wine pitcher is modeled in terra cotta and fired to a lustrous unglazed black. The unusual relief ornamentation has a line of nude women dancing around the circumference while stomping on a group of demonic heads. If that isn't bizarre enough for you, then examine the handle. Its graceful upward curve culminates in a hooded face and then bifurcates into arms that end with faces instead of hands. With evidence such as this, the Etruscans, indeed, were a truly enigmatic bunch.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Call (978) 345-4207.