Handle in the Form of a Panther

Etruscan (?) (Artist)

Praenestine (?) (Artist)

5th century BCE (Late Archaic-Classical)

bronze
(Roman Empire )

This sinuous animal formed the handle of a lid to a vessel, perhaps a situla (pail) or cista (cylindrical container). The head is that of a panther, while the curve of the body has become so pronounced that it resembles a weasel. The Etruscan love of animals inspired their craftsmen to adorn many simple household objects with decorative animal imagery.

Provenance

**Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.**

Madame E. Warneck Collection Sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 1905, no. 257 (?); Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1905, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

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Geographies

Italy (Place of Origin)

Measurements

H: 2 3/4 x W: 3 7/8 x D: 1 1/4 in. (7 x 9.9 x 3.2 cm);
mount H: 1 x W: 4 5/16 x D: 2 in. (2.5 x 11 x 5.1 cm)

Credit Line

Acquired by Henry Walters, 1905

Location in Museum

Centre Street: Second Floor: Etruscan Art

Accession Number

In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.

54.1373

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