Getty Museum

Statuette of an Archer

Date

about 600 B.C.

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Sardinian

Department

Sculpture

Institution

Getty Museum

With his elongated and simplified form, this figure is characteristic of the bronze statuettes produced on the island of Sardinia between 1000 and 500 B.C. The figure's bow and quiver clearly identify him as an archer, one of the various warriors types that were favorite subjects for Sardinian bronze casters. Located off the western coast of Italy, Sardinia had a long established native culture, which came into contact with the Phoenicians when they began expanding their trade routes in the western Mediterranean during this period. This statuette was once thought to be a forgery because the composition of the bronze alloy differed from that of most Sardinian bronzes known at the time. Subsequent study and testing has shown that, in fact, the alloy is well within the range of other Sardinian bronzes, and the statuette is genuine.

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