Situla

c. 525–450 BC

Situla, c. 525–450 BC. Italy, Etruscan, 6th-5th Century BC. Bronze; without handle: 16.6 cm (6 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1951.28 Known as a situla, or bucket, this bronze vessel features an ovoid body with a flaring neck. The separately made foot is quite elaborate and unusually shaped for this type of vessel. More typical is the handle, designed to swing upward from its two attachments, each finely cast in the form of a frontal siren with earrings and very small, simplified wings. The handle includes a loop with attached chain, perhaps meant for hanging.