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| Tomb of the Leopards, Tarquinia |
The Etruscans used many animal figures in their frescoes and sculptures and pottery, which feature creatures both real and legendary. I am particularly enchanted with their depictions of cats - usually big cats - which, like the leopards above, tend to be stylized, sinuous, and exotic.
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| The famous Chimera of Arezzo |
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| Herakles and the lion |
So - were the Etruscans surrounded by lions and leopards and panthers, oh my? Well, no, probably not. But what they did have was the little versions - little cats. Like the one shown on the wall, in relief, in this tomb:
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| Tomb of the Reliefs, Cerveteri |
See the little guy arching his back under a coil of rope, also sculptured in relief, on the pillar? Some argue this is not a cat, but it sure looks catlike to me. And this particular tomb is filled with depictions of the objects of everyday life in Etruscan days.
And now, because I have pretty much no time for blogging this week, I'm going to get really lazy and show you some present-day descendants of Etruscan cats, photographed last spring in Tarquinia, Cerveteri, and Orvieto. Enjoy!
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| Cat walking past Etruscan tomb (Cerveteri) |
Images in this post are either our own, or in the public domain.
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