Greek, Italic cinerary urn

ITEM: Cinerary urn
MATERIAL: Pottery
CULTURE: Greek, Italic
PERIOD: 4th - 3rd Century B.C
DIMENSIONS: 126 mm x 130 mm
CONDITION: Good condition
PROVENANCE: Ex French private collection, acquired between 1980 - 1990

Comes with Certificate of Authenticity and Export Licence. If you are from outside the European Union, we will have to apply for the export licence again for your country, this takes 3 to 5 weeks and has a cost of 5% of the hammer price, this amount will be added to the final invoice.

Cinerary urns from the Italic region during the Greek period reflect the diverse funerary traditions of pre-Roman Italy, influenced by both indigenous customs and Greek colonization. These urns, used to store cremated remains, were crafted from materials such as clay, stone, or metal and varied in form depending on regional practices. The Etruscans, one of the dominant Italic cultures, produced elaborately decorated urns, often featuring anthropomorphic lids or detailed reliefs depicting mythological or daily life scenes. In contrast, other Italic groups, such as the Latins and Samnites, favored simpler forms, sometimes with geometric or floral motifs, yet still reflecting Greek artistic influences through imported styles and decorative techniques.

The presence of Greek influence in Italic cinerary urns is particularly evident in the colonies of Magna Graecia, where Greek settlers introduced Attic and Corinthian pottery styles. Many urns from southern Italy bear red-figure or black-figure painted scenes similar to those found on contemporary Greek vases, depicting gods, heroes, or funerary rituals. The integration of Greek iconography into Italic burial practices suggests not only cultural exchange but also the adaptation of Greek religious and philosophical concepts related to the afterlife. In some cases, the fusion of Greek and indigenous Italic styles created unique hybrid forms, illustrating the fluidity of artistic and religious identities in the region.