Genus i gester : En studie om könsbundenhet inom etruskisk begravningskonst

Sammanfattning: Etruscan art was greatly influenced by Greek art, which is especially apparent in the Etruscan funerary art. A common motif within Greek funerary art is the prothesis, the lying in state, which appears in Etruria during the sixth and fifth centuries BCE. However, the Etruscan scenes differ from the Greek scenes in that they portray a wider flexibility when it comes to gender roles. Women and men are not limited to gestures or positions within the scenes of prothesis. This in turn, along with other factors not discussed in this paper, has led to discussions of a more gender equal Etruscan society. Yet there is a specific gesture within the Etruscan scenes that is not found in the Greek material. The gesture in question, portrayed with both hands on the chest either in fists or placed one on top of the other, appears in other funerary art outside of the prothesis scenes. The aim of this thesis is to examine this gesture and its relation to gender and whether it is gender constricted. By analyzing and comparing funerary art limited to Chiusi and Vetulonia that includes the gesture, found in reliefs, statuettes as well as sculptures, this paper sets out to deepen our understanding of Etruscan gender roles. Since the material being examined is extremely restricted, the only thing an analysis of this size can determine is that there is indeed a gender constriction within the funerary art from the cities of Chiusi and Vetulonia, speaking to a possible wider occurrence within the entire Etruscan society. To delve deeper into the questions of gender roles and how they affect the Etruscan art, it is necessary to broaden the scope of material – both in form and origin.