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Perfume jar (balsamarium) in the shape of female head (Aphrodite / Turan?)
Italic, Etruscan
Hellenistic Period
late 3rd–early 2nd century B.C.
Medium/Technique
Bronze
Dimensions
Overall: 10.5 x 7.6 x 6.4 cm (4 1/8 x 3 x 2 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Henry Lillie Pierce Fund
Accession Number98.682
OUT ON LOAN
On display at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco: Legion of Honor, May 2, 2026 – September 20, 2026
On display at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco: Legion of Honor, May 2, 2026 – September 20, 2026
CollectionsAncient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsVessels
Catalogue Raisonné
Greek, Etruscan, & Roman Bronzes (MFA), no. 505; Sculpture in Stone and Bronze (MFA), p. 125 (additional published references).
DescriptionA balsamarium or perfume vase in the shape of a woman's head, most likely the goddess of love Turan or the Lasae, Etruscan spirits of beauty who waited on divine and mortal women at their toilet. As it was found in a tomb in Etruria (between Ferentium and Bomarzo), most likely a prized possession of a wealthy Etruscan lady. The head is decorated with a diadem with two doves (associated with the worship of Aphrodite), elongated drop earrings, and a necklace of pendants. The eyes were inserted--probably glass irises were set into a fine lime paste. The base is decorated with a rosette.
The lid is missing and there is no evidence of any attached handles. Dark and light green patina with heavy earth encrustation.
The lid is missing and there is no evidence of any attached handles. Dark and light green patina with heavy earth encrustation.
ProvenanceSaid to have been found in a tomb on the road between Bomarzo and Ferentium (Viterbo), Italy [see note 1]. By 1898, Edward Perry Warren (b. 1860 - d. 1928), London and Rome; 1898, sold by Edward Perry Warren to the MFA for $69,618 [see note 2]. (Accession Date: September 20, 1898)
NOTES: [1] According to Warren, this was found with MFA accession nos. 98.683 and 98.684. [2] Total price paid for MFA accession nos. 98.641-98.940.
NOTES: [1] According to Warren, this was found with MFA accession nos. 98.683 and 98.684. [2] Total price paid for MFA accession nos. 98.641-98.940.