6th century BC. An Etrcan terracotta pediment, sima,prising two bands of decorated patterns; the horizontal band with raised border along the upper edge divided in two fasciae, the first decorated with painted tongue pattern, in alternating dark blue and red and yellow colour, the second one decorated with a painted single guilloche in alternate red and dark blue colour, the two fasciae separated by a red line. Cf. Torelli, M., Gli Etrchi, Cinisello Balsamo, 2000, pp.156,331, for similar architectural examples; Wikander, O., 'The Archaic and Etrcan Sima' in De Puma D., Penny Small, J., Murlo and the Etrcans, Art and Society in Ancient Etruria, London, 1994, pp.47-63, figs.18,50; Winter, N., 'Traders and Refugees: Contribution to Etrcan Architecture' in Etrcan Studies, November, 2017, pp.123-151, fig.7, 8. 5.5 kg, 44cm total (17 1/4"). Van der Aa collection collection, Belgium, formerly Netherlands, 1960s. With Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger, Munch, Germany, Auktion 303, lot 1025. From a private Atralian collection. Apanied by a copy of the Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger and relevant catalogue pages. Apanied by a copy of the previo collector's cataloguing document. A great revolution of Greek origin, took place in the Etrcan architecture towards the middle of the 7th century BC: the introduction of terracotta roofs. Pliny the elder tells (Nat. Hist., XXXV, 152) of the entry into Etrcan land, following a certain Demarat, of a workforce of Greek origin who introduced new construction techniques and in particular the choroplasty, similar to those observed in Greece, in Corinth and Sicyon, by Butades. The Plinian story is partly confirmed by the Acquarossa excavations for the level referable to the end of the 7th century BC which features painted terracotta tile roofs, modelled and painted acroteria and antefixes, with motifs taken from the sub geometric, Greek and Orientalizing repertoire. The same type of decoration is witnessed in theplex of the Orientalizing period of Poggio Civitate, having both a residential (for the local lord) and a cult function, datable to around 650 BC, with cut-out clay acroteria. It is therefore attested from the middle of the 7th century BC, in Etruria and in all the placed reached by the Etrcan expansion (like Capua) the existence of workshops made up of craftsmen specialised in different techniques, capable of carrying outplex andplete works. Terracotta plaques like this sima were ed in the pediments of the temples (Minerva at Veii, Portonaccio Sanctuary, 540-530 BC").For this specific lot, 5% import VAT is applicable on the hammer price