Gendered adornment and dress soundscape in Etruscan dance

Abstract

The Etruscans produced some of the most refined and elaborate pieces of jewellery in the ancient Mediterranean. While Etruscan jewellery is often interpreted as a sign of luxury, and prestige or as a means of legitimisation, the aim of this article is to show the communicative potential and function of adornment. In particular, what was the aim of such adornment in ritual performances and was there a gendered distinction between the jewellery worn by dancers? Did they have a sensory impact in dance? Based on visual evidence of dance from central Etruria from the sixth and fifth centuries BC, this article will focus on the sound these items could have produced. It appears that belts, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and diadems added to the male and female body highlighted, shaped, and performed gender, identity, and status; however, they could also blur, transform, and reverse them.

Keywords

• adornment
• gendered adornment
• jewellery
• ritual performances
• dance
• identity