4th-2nd century B.C. A life-size terracotta head of a youthful woman, modelled with semi-naturalistic facial features, hair pulled back from her face in textured layers, held by a fillet, button-shaped earrings in her ears; hollow-formed, hole to the top of head; mounted on a custom-made display base. Cf. The British Museum, museum number 1873, 0820.125, for a similar face in bronze; Torelli, M., Gli Etruschi, Monza, 2000, pp.378-379,588; the Fordham University Library collection, inventory , 10.008, 10.010. 2.5 kg total, 31.5 cm high including stand (12 3/8 in.). Private collection. With Galerie Serodine, Ascona, Switzerland, early 1990s. Ex collection of Dr. E.N., acquired in 1995. Apanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is apanied by AIAD certificate no.11298-189874. Votive offerings in the form of heads are typical dedications from the Etruscan sanctuaries of central Italy, which became widespread mainly from the 4th to 3rd centuries B.C. This lovely bust, of natural pink terracotta, is an excellent example of the awakening sophistication of Italic artists, who over the following two centuries, fused native traditions with imported ones and gave birth to the multifaceted art of late Roman Res Publica. One cannot exclude the possibility that the sculptured head adorned a temple or funerary sculpture, and was pertinent to a full size statue. Some forerunners of this coroplastic can be seen in the famous statues from the Necropolis of the Pedata (Chianciano), from which emerges the image of the Mater Matuta. The material employed here (pink clay) is more similar however to the one used for the votive heads from the Nemi Sanctuary (Torelli, 2000, p.126), and points towards a votive or funerary function of the head. For this specific lot, 5% import VAT is applicable on the hammer price [A video of this lot is available to view on Timeline Auctions .]