Etruscans Now
Funerary and Ritual studies
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Pieraccini, Lisa - Saint Mary's College
Home is Where the Hearth is: the function of the Caeretan Brazier
Between the seventh and fifth centuries BC, the southern Etruscan metropolis, Caere, was at the forefront of ceramic production and must have housed several workshops which specialized in vase making, vase painting and cylinder stamping. One of the most abundant classes of vessels produced at Caere during this time was stamped impasto ware, in the shapes of the pithos the brazier (braciere in Italian). Impasto ceretano stampigliato, Caeretan red-ware, and cylinder stamped-ware, are all terms used to describe this class of pottery. Most of these vessels have been found in the cemeteries of ancient Caere (modern Cerveteri). They became part of several large private collections, the Castellani, Campana and Campanari, a large portion of which were acquired by the British Museum, the Louvre, and the Berlin Museum. More modern research provides evidence for the use of this type of brazier also in sanctuaries and habitation sites; these finds are housed mainly in Italian museums (especially Cerveteri and the Villa Giulia). No matter how simple the brazier may appear to the twenty-first century viewer, they were objects created specifically for funerary, ritual, and most likely domestic use, and as such, certainly merit attention and investigation. In fact, braziers offered heat, warmth, and light, and thus at familial and social gatherings they occupied a focal position and were considered a vital part of funerary repertoire. What better way to represent the home (in the eternal resting place) then with the hearth?