A masterpiece of Etruscan terracotta production renowned all over the world, the "Sarcofago degli Sposi" was found in 1881 in a tomb of the Banditaccia necropolis belonging to the Ruspoli princes: Felice Bernabei, the founder of Villa Giulia Museum, on perceiving its extraordinary beauty purchased the sarcophagus in fragments (more than 400 pieces). The sarcophagus contained the ashes of two deceased and consisted of a case, in the shape of a "banquet bed" (kline), and a lid, reproducing a banquet with a couple in a half-reclined position, according to the oriental fashion. The man shows his naked trunk while the rest of his body is covered with a cloak. His arm is placed round the woman's shoulder, in a loving attitude; the woman is lavishly dressed and wears a hat (tutulus) and pointed sandals (calcei repandi). They both hold vases and other banquet vessels in their hands. The sarcophagus was modelled as a whole and was later cut vertically into two halves to prevent damages during the baking; it was probably originally lively coloured.

Metadata	Information
Source	FBK - Fondazione Bruno Kessler
Contacts	Fabio RemondinoFBK - Fondazione Bruno KesslerUnità di ricerca 3D Optical Metrology (3DOM) http://3dom.fbk.eu/en/home3D Optical Metrology (3DOM) Unit http://3dom.fbk.eu/en/home
Copyright Credit Line	Soprintendenza Beni Archeologici Etruria Meridionale. Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia. Sarcophagus of the Spouses project. 3D-ICONS. FBK-3DOM
Europeana Rights	Creative Commons - Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (BY-NC-ND)
Start Date	600 a.C.
End Date	501 a.C.
Period Name	Etruscan period
Materials	Terracotta
Provenace	Soprintendenza Beni Archeologici Etruria Meridionale
Heritage Asset Type	Anthropoid sarcophagus