Focus on Sarcophagus of the Spouses and explore the Description.
This sarcophagus is made out of terracotta and was once brightly painted. It depicts a man and woman lying on a kline, a dining couch with cushions to help keep the spouses propped up, all of which have been stylized. The body proportions of the man and woman have been elongated as was common in the Archaic period. Their hair has been styled in a plaited fashion, although the woman's braids are hanging over her shoulders while wearing a soft cap, and the man has braids behind that are fanned out over his shoulders and back. The faces of the couple show them smiling, and their eyes are distinctly almond-shaped, giving them a happy look.There is a line across the middle of the sarcophagus that shows that it was made as separate pieces. Their legs and hips have been stylized to fit better as a lid, with the only distinguishing figural features showing up at the end of the lid in the shape of their feet.
The man and woman's feet are distinguished from each other, as the man is shown
barefoot and the woman wearing pointed-toed shoes, which is an Etruscan characteristic. However, the marked contrast between the high-relief busts and the very flattened legs is typically Etruscan, along with the interest of the upper half of the figures with their expressive faces and arms.This sarcophagus was created in four separate pieces that were fired separately and then put together later on.
high-relief Archaic period terracotta Etruscan sarcophagus busts plaited