Travignoli Stele - Detail B

Description

In the central part, however, the Travignoli Stele presents a dance scene. We notice three figures advancing to the right: the first in the row, wearing a half-leg tunic, plays the aulos, a wind instrument, similar to the flute; the second wears, like the third, a knee-length tunic: he has his head recumbent, his right bent at the waist, his left raised and bent back with his hand extended above his head; finally, the third has his head turned back and is perhaps portrayed with his back turned, with his arms both bent above his head. Music and dance occupied ample space in Etruscan life: with them they accompanied many of their daily activities. Etruscan dance arose to tie in with religious ceremonies, but in time it took on a secular character, becoming a full-fledged performance.