Description
| ITEM | Antefix of Potnia Theron |
| MATERIAL | Terracotta |
| CULTURE | Etruscan |
| PERIOD | 3rd – 2nd Century B.C |
| DIMENSIONS | 375 mm x 200 mm x 65 mm |
| CONDITION | Good condition, repaired |
| PROVENANCE | Ex European private collection, Ex Nina Borowski – Archaeologie (1974), Ex Galerie George Krimisos, Paris (1971 – 1973) |
| BIBLIOGRAPHY | BLÁZQUEZ MARTÍNEZ, J.M., Relive de Itálica con una representación de la “Potnia Theron” SULIMAN-WOLF, H., An Etrusco-Italic Antefix of Potnia Theron from Ardea |
Antefixes were vertical, decorative blocks placed at the end of roof tiles on temples and other structures, often richly adorned to ward off evil and celebrate divine figures. In this case, the Potnia Theron, a goddess archetype inherited from the wider Mediterranean iconographic tradition, is portrayed in dynamic symmetry, flanked by wild animals—usually lions, panthers, or birds—symbolizing her dominion over the natural world.
The representation of the Potnia Theron in Etruscan art reflects both local religious beliefs and Near Eastern or Greek influences. Her iconography—arms outstretched, grasping animals by their necks or wings—is not merely decorative but conveys her role as a protector and controller of the liminal space between civilization and the wild. Etruscans may have associated this figure with deities like Artumes (related to Artemis) or Uni, reflecting how imported motifs were recontextualized within their own pantheon. The antefix, therefore, functioned both as an apotropaic device and a statement of divine order overseeing the temple and its surroundings.
Crafted in terracotta, such antefixes also illustrate the Etruscans’ technical skill and aesthetic sophistication. The vivid polychromy (now often faded), expressive modeling, and formalized composition would have made a vivid impression on worshippers approaching the temple.
