Sarcophagus of the Spouses

There are actually two very similar Etruscan terracotta sarcophagi from Cerveteri with this name. The most famous one is displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, while the other is housed in the National Etruscan Museum at the Villa Giulia in Rome.

The archaic "archaic smile" seen on the faces of the reclining couple reflects the artistic styles imported from Greece during the 6th century BC. The smile was a common convention used by ancient sculptors to give the statues a sense of vitality and eternal life.

The couple is sculpted as if they are reclining together on a dining couch during an ancient Etruscan banquet. This lively pose reflects the high social status of Etruscan women, who, unlike Greek women, were permitted to attend and dine at banquets with men.

Despite its name, modern experts generally classify it as an ash urn rather than a full-body sarcophagus. The reclining figures originally served as the lid for a terracotta vessel containing the cremated remains of the deceased.