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Cinerary Urn with Reclining Man on Lid

Attributed To Workshop of Chiusi
Culture Etruscan
Title Cinerary Urn with Reclining Man on Lid
Date 250–150 BCE
Medium Terracotta and added color
Dimensions Base: 16 3/8 x 8 1/4 in. (41.6 x 21 cm)
Overall: 21 x 18 x 9 7/8 in. (53.3 x 45.7 x 25.1 cm)
Credit Line Museum purchase with funds from Mrs. Willis Hickam, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 64.123

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About this Work

This mold-made urn from the Chiusiregion of Etruria once held the cremated remains of an Etruscan man. A sculpted relief on the front of the box-like urn depicts the story of two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, who battled one another for the right to rule Thebes. The myth was borrowed from the Greeks, but a pair of winged females—a common Etruscan motif—was added to the scene. The lid of the urn supports a three-dimensional representation of the deceased, an unbearded man holding a phiale (offering bowl).


Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Cinerary Urn with Reclining Man on Lid | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=64.123