Urn cinerary urn with lid. Etruscan, IV - III century B.C.

Urn cinerary urn with lid. Etruscan, IV - III century BC.
Limestone.
Provenance: Private collection, R. G., France. Acquired in the 1960s.
Conservation: Good general condition, without restorations. It presents losses of material on the surface.
Measurements: Set: 82 cm high; 63 cm long; 28 cm deep. Lid: 39 cm high; 63 cm long; 28 cm deep. Urn: 43 cm high; 57 cm long; 28 cm deep.

Important Etruscan cinerary urn with sculptural lid, representing the deceased reclining in banqueting attitude, characteristic iconography of the Etruscan culture linked to the concept of life in the afterlife as an idealized prolongation of the earthly world. The figure appears arranged on a bed (klinē), with the arm supported and the body slightly turned, evoking the convivial scenes characteristic of the Etruscan aristocracy.

The front of the box presents a narrative relief with several figures in scene, probably alluding to a mythical or funerary episode, framed by architectural elements. This type of decoration, with a strong symbolic content, reflects both the beliefs about the passage to the afterlife and the influence of Greek art on the Etruscan imaginary.

Urns of this type were produced mainly in centers such as Volterra and Chiusi, and constitute one of the most representative testimonies of late Etruscan funerary sculpture. The combination of idealized portrait on the lid and narrative relief on the box gives the piece a remarkable historical, artistic and documentary value.

A specimen of large format and presence, rare in the market, which stands out for the quality of its composition and for preserving the whole urn and lid, which significantly reinforces its interest for collectors and museums.