Etruscan Cinerary Urn with Fighting Echetlus

Culture: Etruscan

Period: 3rd-2nd century B.C.

Material: Terracotta

Dimensions: 33 cm high; 35 cm long

Price: 14 000 Euro

Ref: 4232

Provenance: French private collection Julien Bessonneau (1842-1916). Acquired between 1970 and 1980 from Yvette and Jacques Deschamps, France, with collection number 213. Thence at Chauviré Courant on October 2, 2018, lot 65. Most recently in an English collection.

Condition: Minor wear. Urn and lid belonging and intact.

Description: Completely preserved cinerary urn with a rectangular box and a lid with a sculptural depiction of a deceased. The woman on the lid is completely covered in a blanket, except for her toes and head. The head facing to the side rests on a large pillow and depicts a smile. The ash urn is with a rectangular opening on top. En face in relief the famous depiction of the fighting hero Echetlus in the Battle of Marathon. Echetlus, a peasant worker, stands facing the viewer, ploughing into a kneeling warrior. Echetlus is without clothes except for a sash around his waist. The kneeling warrior tries to protect himself with his shield and raises his other arm to strike with his sword. To the left, another warrior with a cloak and helmet rushing forward, ready to fight. Behind the enraged Echetlus stands a third warrior with a shield, his sword raised above his head to strike. This scene was very popular on cinerary urns, especially in Chiusi. Although most scholars believe they recognize the hero Echetlus in this scene, it has never been satisfactorily explained why this Greek legend was so popular in Etruria. It is therefore also possible that the scene depicts an Etruscan hero from a previously unknown story. See for the type of the urn in the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the Accession Number 96.9.219a, b, as well as in literature Theresa Huntsman, “Hellenistic Etruscan Cremation Urns from Chiusi”, Metropolitan Museum vol. 49, 2014, pages 141-150. A collection note on top of the rim of the cinerary urn and two old collection notes in the front and back.