Large Gold Fibula (Regolini-Galassi Tomb)

This monumental fibula comes from the princely Regolini–Galassi tomb at Cerveteri, a key Orientalizing-period burial. The goldsmith used granulation—solderless arrays of tiny gold beads—to spin rosettes, borders, and animal bands across the surface. Striding lions, a Near-Eastern royal motif, march along the bow, while waterfowl and rosettes enrich the plate below. The scale is striking: not a practical fastener but a prestige emblem worn on sumptuous textiles. Its technique, iconography, and tomb context reveal the Etruscans’ Mediterranean connections and their mastery of precious-metal craft. Seen up close, the piece reads like a micro-mosaic in gold: thousands of specks fused into patterns that turn light into status.