ITEM: Cup MATERIAL: Pottery CULTURE: Iron Age, Villanovan PERIOD: 9th – 8th Century B.C DIMENSIONS: 50 mm x 66 mm CONDITION: Good condition PROVENANCE: Ex European private collection, Ex Galerie Hydra (1985) The Villanovan culture, which flourished during the Iron Age in central and northern Italy (circa 900–700 BCE), is perhaps most famous for its distinctive funerary pottery. The primary vessel of this period is the biconical urn, a hand-shaped ceramic container used to hold the cremated remains of the deceased. These urns are characterized by two truncated cones joined at their widest point, typically featuring a single handle. Interestingly, if the deceased was a warrior, the urn was often "capped" with a bronze helmet; if not, it was covered with a ceramic bowl placed upside down. This practice highlights the early stages of social stratification and the symbolic importance of pottery in funerary rites. In terms of aesthetics and technique, Villanovan vessels were primarily made of impasto, a coarse clay fired at relatively low temperatures. Rather than using paint, artisans decorated the surfaces with intricate incised or stamped geometric patterns. Common motifs included meanders, triangles, squares, and swastikas, often filled with a white silica paste to create a sharp contrast against the dark, burnished clay. The precision of these decorations suggests a highly developed sense of symmetry and a cultural preference for abstract, repetitive ornamentation that preceded the more fluid, orientalizing styles of the later Etruscan period. Beyond the standard funerary urns, the Villanovan repertoire included a variety of "luxury" vessels that showcased increasing craft specialization. One notable form is the hut urn, a ceramic vessel modeled after the actual dwellings of the living, complete with thatched roof details and structural beams. As the culture evolved and came into contact with Mediterranean trade networks, these clay forms began to be translated into bronze. Hammered bronze situlae (buckets) and bowls appeared, featuring embossed decorations (repoussé) that mirrored the earlier ceramic traditions. These vessels serve as a vital archaeological link, tracing the transition from a tribal, village-based society to the sophisticated urban civilization of the Etruscans. Comes with Certificate of Authenticity and European Union export license If you bid outside European Union and win the item, we must request a new export license to your country and the shipment will delay between 3 - 5 weeks.