
Created in the second half of the fourth century B.C.E., this Etruscan bronze basin handle was once part of a pair. Measuring 4.3 inches high and 8.3 inches wide, the handle depicts two fighters locked in conflict. Head to head, each soldier pulls the other’s hair. Both are garbed in an armored tunic and armed with a short sword.

Even though archaeologists have found thousands of Etruscan texts, they are often short or unclear. Thus researchers often rely on artifacts, such as this, to provide clues into Etruscan war practices. Although its exact findspot is unknown, this piece likely originated in Etruria.
This bronze basin handle can be seen in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria.
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