DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.847#0066
INTRODUCTION.
59
of a very peculiar shape we have depicted upon a
Toscania vase in our possession; it is like a dumb-
waiter with many shelves. There is a war-chariot,
but, from all that I could learn, it is about as
much Etruscan as the school boy's knife was ori-
ginal ; and there are a great number of arms and
detached pieces of armour. We saw a set of
bronze idols from Cere, of which we have a du-
plicate ; and from the same place were some very
finely worked and polished clay ones of Egyptian
form. A winged Minerva, which I fancy is a
unique representation in bronze; several shields
with stamped figures in the boss; and a very re-
markable cista of bronze found at Toscanella, on
which the Amazons are represented, and, as it would
appear, by a different hand from that which made
the chest The " cista" is merely a small box which
was used in some temples to contain sacred emblems
for the mysteries. On another side of this room
are a number of spechj, which being very rare
are reckoned very valuable. As they are constantly
represented on the vases in the hand of a nymph, or
female figure, who appears to be looking into what
| she holds, this instrument is decided to have been
the looking-glass of the Etruscan ladies. On the
vases, I conceive the figure looking is intended to
see either backward into time, or forward into eter-
nity ; but as articles of the wardrobe I shall only say,
that the spechj are always of bronze, and I have
seen them with a polish like steel. We have one
59
of a very peculiar shape we have depicted upon a
Toscania vase in our possession; it is like a dumb-
waiter with many shelves. There is a war-chariot,
but, from all that I could learn, it is about as
much Etruscan as the school boy's knife was ori-
ginal ; and there are a great number of arms and
detached pieces of armour. We saw a set of
bronze idols from Cere, of which we have a du-
plicate ; and from the same place were some very
finely worked and polished clay ones of Egyptian
form. A winged Minerva, which I fancy is a
unique representation in bronze; several shields
with stamped figures in the boss; and a very re-
markable cista of bronze found at Toscanella, on
which the Amazons are represented, and, as it would
appear, by a different hand from that which made
the chest The " cista" is merely a small box which
was used in some temples to contain sacred emblems
for the mysteries. On another side of this room
are a number of spechj, which being very rare
are reckoned very valuable. As they are constantly
represented on the vases in the hand of a nymph, or
female figure, who appears to be looking into what
| she holds, this instrument is decided to have been
the looking-glass of the Etruscan ladies. On the
vases, I conceive the figure looking is intended to
see either backward into time, or forward into eter-
nity ; but as articles of the wardrobe I shall only say,
that the spechj are always of bronze, and I have
seen them with a polish like steel. We have one