The power of the ram

A ram’s head today on view the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu exemplifies the talismanic powers of amber within Etruscan thought. We can surmise that it was once worn as the pendant centrepiece of a necklace based on the grooves on its posterior end. These rabbets suggest the presence of a now-lost metal attachment that joined the amber to a string that would have been worn around the neck. A horned ram, rendered with tremendous anatomical accuracy out of a chunk of fiery red amber, gazes out into the distance in profile. His hollow eyes were once inlaid with a secondary precious material such as glass or lapis lazuli. Rams were ubiquitous Bronze and Iron Age motifs signifying strength, leadership, and guardianship. To wear such an animal close to…

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Ancient History (Digital) - 1 Issue, AH 49

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