Architectural Panel

This molded terracotta panel depicts a bearded man with the lower body of a fish. This merman may represent Triton, a minor Greek god of the sea whose worship was adopted by the Etruscans. Etruscan architecture was frequently elaborated with terracotta panels decorated with mythological or genre scenes, either molded in low relief or painted. The holes visible on the plaque were used for mounting the panel on a wall.