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This is alabaster cinerary urn where the remains of people were buried in.

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This once richly-painted cinerary urn (container for the cremated remains of the dead) reflects the Etruscan love of banqueting. A favourite pastime in life, it seems to have been what they most liked to envisage themselves doing in the afterlife. This type of cinerary urn was very popular from the fourth century BC onwards, and tomb-paintings from the sixth century frequently depict banqueting with lavish entertainment provided by acrobats and dancers. It was perhaps this passion which gave rise to the Roman historian Livy's stereotypical view of the obesus etruscus ('fat Etruscan'): certainly from the corpulent appearance of the portraits in their tombs they were proud to display their obesity, which was probably felt to indicate their wealthy status and luxurious style of living. The deceased man wears a cloak, a festive garland round his neck and a wreath on his head, comfortably leaning on two tasselled cushions. He holds a shallow vessel of a type normally used for pouring liquid offerings (omphalos phiale), but it seems that the Etruscans may have used it at banquets. Perhaps, though, it is shown here as it was thought to be a suitable drinking-vessel for the deceased in the afterlife. The inscription names the man as Vel Umrana, son of Arnth. It is written retrograde (right to left) as normal with Etruscan inscriptions. The scene on the chest possibly represents Eteokles and Polyneikes, the sons of Oedipos, in battle before the walls of Thebes, a popular theme in classical art. However, the uprooted tree is unexplained: it was perhaps involved in an Etruscan form of the legend.

Details

Title: Alabaster cinerary urn with reclining figure on lid

Date Created: -200/-100

Physical Dimensions: Height: 57.00cm (lid); Length: 85.00cm (lid); Width: 41.00cm (lid); Height: 49.00cm (chest); Length: 81.00cm (chest); Width: 42.00cm (chest)

External Link: British Museum collection online

Technique: carved; high relief

Subject: classical mythology; feast/banquet; mythical figure/creature; battle

Registration number: 1850,1031.1

Production place: Made in Italy

Place: Excavated/Findspot Chiusi

Period/culture: Etruscan

Material: alabaster

Copyright: Photo: © Trustees of the British Museum

Acquisition: Donated by Hume-Campbell, Hugh P

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Alabaster cinerary urn with reclining figure on lid - Google Arts & Culture

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This once richly-painted cinerary urn (container for the cremated remains of the dead) reflects the Etruscan love of banqueting. A favourite pastime in life, it seems to have been what they most liked to envisage themselves doing in the afterlife.

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This bronze helmet was "caught" in battle. The inscriptions translate "Hieron, son of Deinomenes, and the Syracusans, [dedicated] to Zeus Etruscan [spoils] from Cumae". It's almost like naming your jacket or bicycle helmet, but why would you CAPTURE it?

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Syracuse was a Greek colony founded by Corinth, and between about 500 and 200 BC it became the most prosperous city on the island of Sicily. In 474 BC Hier...

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This picture depicts

Horatius Cocles defending the bridge. It portrays Horatius fighting the Etruscans

For more info click on the picture

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Horatius Cocles defending the Bridge - Le Brun, Charles - Google Arts & Culture

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"The story is told in Livy's History of Rome: Horatius Cocles alone defends the Sublician bridge against the Etruscans while it is demolished behind him; a...

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This statue depicts

a battle between Greek gods and giants. This shows that Etruscans also believed in Greek gods

For more info click on the picture

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Architectural Relief Depicting the Gigantomachy (Battle between Gods and Giants) - Etruscan - Google Arts & Culture

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The Gigantomachy was the struggle between and the Giants and the Olympian gods, who were led by Zeus. In flowing robes, a god and goddess capture a Giant, ...