Tufa head of a Sphinx or Siren at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

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This stunning Tufa head of a sphinx or siren originates from 550-525 B.C., likely crafted in Vulcian style. The Fletcher Fund gifted this magnificent piece in 1924, where it now resides on permanent display at the renowned Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This imposing head, carved from volcanic stone, is believed to represent a sphinx or siren. Statues of both mythological creatures, typically depicted by ancient civilizations with human female heads and winged animal or bird bodies, were often positioned as guardians near Etruscan tomb entrances. The large winged lion on display in this gallery serves as a well-preserved example of the same type of stone sculpture. The style of this female head, characterized by almond-shaped eyes, an Archaic smile, and a wig-like hair arrangement, is strongly reminiscent of Greek, particularly Ionian examples. Several related sculptures, all associated with ancient tombs at Vulci, are housed in other collections. One of the closest parallels for the Museum's head can be found in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen. This remarkable object is part of "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative launched by MyMiniFactory, which aims to create a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the globe for public access. Scan the World is an open-source, community-driven project, and those with interesting items they'd like to contribute can email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how they can participate.