Terracotta perfume flask (askos) in the form of a
lion
Etruscan, 340-300 BC
Probably found in the Francois Tomb, Vulci (ancient Etruria),
Lazio, Italy
A ferocious scent
This exquisite terracotta perfume bottle in the shape of a lion
was probably made at Chiusi, an important city in northern Etruria,
where animal-shaped perfume containers were popular in the fourth
century BC. This type of ornate container was produced
predominantly at Chiusi and belongs to a class of Etruscan pottery
of the fourth and third centuries BC which includes vases in the
shape of human heads as well as more conventional pottery-shapes.
The group is known as the Clusium Group - Clusium is the Roman name
for Chiusi.
With their elaborate form and sometimes additional decoration in
gold, these objects were clearly made for a wealthy clientele.
M. Harari, Il gruppo Clusium della ceramo (Rome, 1980)
O. Brendel, Etruscan art, Pelican History of Art (Yale University Press, 1995)
E. Macnamara, The Etruscans-1 (London, The British Museum Press, 1990)
L. Burn, The British Museum book of G-1, revised edition (London, The British Museum Press, 1999)