Certosa Situla, 3D Model

A 3D model of the Certosa situla, which is considered the "queen of Etruscan situlae" for its beautiful and complex decoration. This vase, whose handles have been lost, was used as a precious cinerary urn in a female well tomb dating to the first quarter of the 5th century BC (500-475 BC). The elegant vase, made at least a century before its burial, was preserved for a long time due to its exquisite decoration. It was found by Antonio Zannoni during  the excavations at the Certosa di Bologna necropolis between 1869 and 1873. It is one of the most important examples of the so-called situlae art, an artistic movement that flourished in the Veneto-Alpine region and which, between the 7th and 6th centuries BC, was characterized by banded decorations with plant motifs, imaginary animals, and scenes of everyday life typical of the aristocratic class. The most likely hypothesis is that this situla was a rich gift intended for a high-ranking figure in Po Valley Etruria. The vessel is composed of a single sheet of bronze, folded over itself and secured with hammered nails, decorated with repoussé and incisions. The figurative scenes are distributed across four registers: from top to bottom, a parade of armed men, a procession of figures carrying various tools for sacrifice and banquet, a musical contest amidst hunting and plowing scenes, and finally a sequence of real and imaginary animals.

Provenance: Bologna, Certosa Necropoli, tomb 68.
Dating: first quarter of the V century BC (500-475 BC).
Inv.: 17169.