Etruscan art Great Haruspice
Not sure of exact origin of this piece. See pictures for condition. Haruspice holding a snake ,Bronze, Second half of the 19th century,H. 45 cm.This bronze is superb for its finesse and its stretched treatment. Its spindly body is synthetically depicted, with slight details.The haruspices of Etruria were distinguished from the rest of the population by their costume: they wore a short coat edged with fringes (similar to the skin of the sacrificed beast), rather than the Etruscan toga, fastened by a fibula at the neck, and a broad-brimmed headdress with a pointed top, tied under the chin because it was a very bad omen if it fell off during the ceremonies