Etruscan Wedding Relief and a Tomb Chamber near Civita Castellana, 1842

An original antique lithograph with hand coloring, from the Galleria Universale di Tutti i Popoli del Mondo (Venice, Giuseppe Antonelli, 1842). The upper image, tinted rose, shows a carved relief beneath a band of inscription in ancient letters. At the center a closed double door with rosettes separates a woman and a young man who clasp hands; a winged figure behind each of them places a hand on their heads, and each winged figure holds a flaming torch. The lower image shows the interior of a vaulted chamber cut in rock, washed in olive and gray, with rows of rectangular niches in the side and back walls, two low slabs on the floor, a short inscription on the back wall and the key letters A, B and C.

The top margin is lettered Tom. IV at upper left, "ITALIA" at center and Tav. 41 at upper right. The captions read "Cerimonia nuziale" (Wedding ceremony) and "Grotta vicina alla citta Castellana" (Grotto near Città Castellana).

This plate belongs to the part of the volume on ancient Italy and the Etruscans. The town named in the caption is Civita Castellana, north of Rome, an area known for its rock cut tombs. The inscription above the relief is written in Etruscan letters, which read from right to left.

The pairing of a sculptural scene and an architectural interior makes this a good plate for a collector of archaeology or Italian antiquities.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.