Complete Description

An Villanovian bronze shield,

8th-7th century B.C.

Bouclier de bronze villanovien de forme circulaire bombée avec une petite poignée en sangle rivetée au centre du dos, la face avant ornée en relief d'un disque central surélevé et entourée de bandes concentriques de petits et grands bossages alternés.

Diam.: 19 cm

Provenance:

Sotheby’s, Londres, 4 avril 1977: n°187 (partie de lot)

Summa Galleries, Beverly Hills, 1979 (Catalogue 5, n°41)

Collection William Herbert Hunt (1929–2024), Dallas

Sa vente, Sotheby’s, New York, 19 juin 1990: n°18 (ill.) (partie de lot)

Axel Guttmann (1944–2001), Berlin

Sa vente, Christie’s, Londres, 28 avril 2004: n°55 (ill.) (partie de lot)

Phoenix Ancient Art, New York

Collection Christian Levett, Musée d'Art Classique de Mougins, acquis en 2010

Exhibitions:

Fort Worth, Kimball Art Museum ; Richmond, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; Detroit Institute of Arts ; Dallas Museum of Art, Wealth of the Ancient World : The Nelson Bunker Hunt and William Herbert Hunt Collections, 25 juin 1983-10 juin 1984

Musée d'Art Classique de Mougins (MACM), Mougins, France, juin 2011-août 2023 (Inv. n° MMoCA602)

Bibliography:

Summa Galleries, Los Angeles, Catalogue 5, n°41

D. von Bothmer, et al., Wealth of the Ancient World : The Nelson Bunker Hunt and William Herbert Hunt Collections, Fort Worth, 1983, p. 92, no. 18

Sotheby’s, The William Herbert Hunt Collection : Highly Important Greek, Roman and Etruscan Bronzes, New York, 19 juin 1990, lot 18

Christie's, The Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, Part 2, Londres, 28 avril 2004, lot 55

M. Burns, "Graeco-Italic Militaria" dans M. Merrony (ed.), Mougins Museum of Classical Art, France, 2011, p. 185, n°2

Nice Matin, France, mai 2015, no. 24520, p. 35

Comment:

Circular and convex in shape, this bronze shield stands out for its repoussé decoration: a raised central disk is surrounded by concentric bands of bosses alternating between large and small elements. The Villanovan culture, flourishing in central Etruria in the 8th century BCE, forms the direct substratum of Etruscan civilization. It is characterized by a metallurgical production featuring engraved or repoussé geometric designs—biconical urns, fibulae, weapons, and ornaments—revealing a hierarchical society in which artisanal excellence is inseparable from social status.

The shield, placed in the most prestigious male burials, is far more than a defensive piece of equipment. A true emblem of power, it asserts the rank of its owner. The concentric bosses that adorn it also recall the parade shields attested in Greece and Central Europe, testifying to exchange networks on a Mediterranean scale.