Etruscan funerary lion

This lion is on a tomb with the inscription This is the tomb of Nevza Arnth. The Etruscans were a civilization present in Italy, contemporary of the Ancient Greek, and prior to the Roman civilization. Their culture and art were extremely rich and developped. As Massimo Pallottino studied it in his book The Etruscan lion, this animal holds a particular place in the Etruscan culture. It is often represented throughout sculpure and seems to be exerting some sort of fascination on the Etruscans. In fact the most famous sculpture from this civilization is the Chimaera of Arezzo, representing a creature which has been widely inspired by a lion.