Votive head. Etruscan, 4th century B.C.

Votive head. Etruscan, 4th century B.C.
Terracotta.
Measurements: 12 cm high.

Etruscan votive head in terracotta, belonging to a type widely found in the sanctuaries of central Italy during the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. These pieces were offered to the deities as expressions of petition, gratitude, or protection, and formed part of a rich universe of anatomical and figurative votive offerings linked to religious and healing practices.

The work depicts a female face with serene features, almond-shaped eyes, a small mouth, and hair rendered with undulating incisions. The frontal and simplified modeling reflects the votive nature of the piece, conceived not as an individual portrait but as a symbolic image of the donor or of the part of the body placed under divine protection.