ART 198 - HISTORY OF WORLD CERAMICS

The Etruscans cremated their dead and buried the urns in elaborate underground tombs. Here is a heavily reconstructed sarcophagus made in terra cotta (literally, burnt earth). A handsome couple recline, arm in arm, on a recamier, and gently beckon towards the viewer as if inviting one to dine with them.The are beautifully modeled, with almond eyes, and faint smiles (in the style of archaic Greek sculpture). Their hair styles are detailed, the male figure sports a beard, and has his hair parted neatly in the middle. Their faces and hands are given greatest attention by the artist, but oddly, the legs and feet are very rudimentarily modeled.

Etruscan Terra Cotta Sarcophagus 520 BCE, Italian peninsula