Etruscan Bronze Balsamarium of female head from Bolsena 3rd - 2nd C. BCE

"Bronze balsamarium in the form of a female head with waved hair, wearing a Phrygian cap. On top is a hinged lid in the form of a shell; on each side is a ring. The back of the neck is inscribed "Suthina".

It seems that the inscription was cut into the wax before the object was cast, implying that it was made for funerary use. The A is upside down, suggesting that the craftsman may have turned the head upside down to do the last letter and then made a mistake with its orientation.

While the features are delicate and seem to indicate a woman’s head, the jaw is quite full and it has been suggested that this is a male head, perhaps representing one of the Dioskouroi, in the tradition of portraits influenced by representations of Alexander the Great (Haynes 1985, p. 319-320, no. 193; 1959, p.125, n.15). The features and expression in fact bear a remarkable resemblance to those of a terracotta head of a youth also wearing a Phrygian cap from Arezzo (La Catona, Porta San Clemente, Pernier excavations 1919, Museo Cilnio Mecenate: Torelli, M, The Etruscans, London, Thames and Hudson, 2001, exhibition catalogue, Palazzo Grassi 2001, no.318.2, p.635). Balsamaria usually depict women’s or satyrs’ heads. Haynes (1965, p. 27) and De Puma (2013, p. 241) suggest that the women may be intended as Turan (the Etruscan Aphrodite) or a Lasa, the nymph associated with lovers and frequently shown attending women at their beautifying sessions. These vessels were popular in Etruria in the Hellenistic period and probably contained cosmetics. The style of the head and inscription indicate that it was made in the Orvieto-Bolsena region The base is missing, as often, and it is possible that it was not metal but some kind of sealant, perhaps applied after the vessel was filled. [J. Swaddling in Bruschetti et al 2014, III.68]"

 -taken from britishmuseum link below

Etruscan Bronze Balsamarium of female head from Bolsena 3rd - 2nd C. BCE. Current location: The British Museum.

Source/Quote:

https://www.bmimages.com/preview.asp?image=01484615001

https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=433395&page=1&partId=1&searchText=etruscan%20bronze%20woman