Bowl Foot

Decorative foot, probably from a cista of wood or sheet bronze, cast in the shape of a feline paw of four elongated toes above a torus base. Surmounting the paw is a triangular volute panel which forms a plinth for a thin, openwork harpy or siren figure. The paw is modelled in the round, but the upper part of the piece is flat, thin and curved to fit the outer surface of a large vessel. The back surface is smooth, concave, down to a thin flange set just above the paw. A single rivet is preserved just off the centre of the harpy's breast. The harpy or siren stands on short, straight legs, also supported by a downward curving wing on each side. Her body is defined by the lines of an upper pair of wings which curve upward. Her head, with almond eyes and a border of striated hair, is surmounted by a thin, flat, seven pointed palmette. There is much finely incised detail, especially on the wing feathers, but the overall design is a simplified version of other Etruscan harpy figures.