The Tomb of the Ducks at Veii is a remarkably early example of painted Etruscan funerary art, discovered in 1958 in the Riserva del Bagno necropolis and dating to the second quarter of the seventh century BCE. Its name derives from a small frieze of waterfowl, perhaps ducks, perhaps geese, painted in a simple, almost childlike style above the tomb’s entrance. This modest decoration belies the tomb’s significance: it is among the oldest known instances of the painted chamber tombs that later became a hallmark of Etruscan culture. The Etruscans, who flourished in central Italy before the rise of Rome, were renowned for their elaborate burial practices and vivid tomb paintings, which often depicted banquets, dancers, and scenes of daily life. Here, however, the imagery is spare, the palette limited, and the gesture still tentative. It offers a rare glimpse of a tradition in its infancy, before it flowered into the exuberant frescoes of Tarquinia.
Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.
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