Etruscan Bronzes and Ceramics on Display at Bolzano's Trevilab

The exhibition 'Etruschi. Artisti e artigiani' opens autumn 2024 at Centro Trevi – Trevilab in Bolzano, organized by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano in collaboration with the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia in Rome. It showcases Etruscan artifacts, including bronze mirrors and Nicosthenic amphorae, many from Villa Giulia's storerooms. The show focuses on craftsmanship, production, trade, funerary rites, and patronage. A highlight is an unpublished Nicosthenic amphora from Cerveteri, over 2,500 years old, attributed to the Athenian potter Nicosthenes (active 550–510 BCE), known for his signature 'Nicosthenes epoiesen'. His workshop produced black-figure, red-figure, and rare white-ground ceramics for Etruscan aristocrats. Also featured is a bronze mirror (ca. 2500 BCE) depicting the prelude to the Trojan War with Aphrodite, Helen, Hermione, and Paris. Etruscan mirrors, often with incised mythological scenes on the reverse, were primarily used by women, as indicated by inscribed female names. The exhibition offers a synthetic yet evocative view of Etruscan artistry, including pieces normally kept in storage.