Sarcophagus with polychrome relief

A reclining man occupies the lid of this marble sarcophagus from Cerveteri. He wears a cloak, a crown and jewellery, and holds a shallow bowl for liquid offerings. Beside his head is a folded book made of linen, possibly a sacred text. The sculptor placed objects of ritual and status around the image of the deceased. The chest carries a procession. The dead man rides in a chariot with his wife, accompanied by musicians and dancers. A priest carries a curved staff. Banqueting, music and the presence of a married couple connect the funerary scene with activities and relationships associated with life. The sarcophagus was found in 1845–1846 in the Tomb of the Sarcophagi at Cerveteri’s Banditaccia necropolis. Its burial chamber originally had painted walls. Dating to about 400–375 BC, the work combines older themes with the procession across its chest. The seahorses on the ends of the lid extend the imagery to a journey by sea into the underworld.