Statuette of a Nude Youth

Taking the form of a nude male youth, this statuette is poised atop a flat, square base with two holes pierced for mounting. The youth stands with his left foot forward, in the same stance as the archaic Greek statues of nude youths which are today called kouroi. Unlike most kouroi, however, this youth extends his left forearm and the missing hand probably held an offering. The right arm is slightly bent with the hand stretched out flat and the palm turned inwards. Etruscan artists frequently took Greek artistic ideas, like the kouros, and then modified them to suit their taste. The youth's broad shoulders, the smooth body form with few anatomical details, and the swelling curves of the muscular limbs characterize Etruscan statuettes made in the late 500s B.C. The statuette most likely served either as a votive gift to the gods in a sanctuary or as a grave offering.