Priestess

This statuette is one of the best examples of Late Hellenistic Etruscan art showing strong international influences. The figurine, cast in bronze, is hollow, but its exterior is thick and heavy. The elegant statuette shows a priestess holding a little pigeon in her right hand.
The statuette was found in the vicinity of Cortona in 1746, together with three other bronzes. The young woman is wearing a bracelet and a twisted metal necklace, a torque, around her neck. Her coiffure has been worked out beautifully, with rolling waves in an asymmetric shape. The latter clearly shows the influence of the art from Pergamon.
The priestess is wearing a thoughtful, dreamy expression, lending the figure a kind of mysterious charm. The easy posture and the pleated, subtly draped robe have been exquisitely rendered.