Ancient Greek funerals were not restrained occasions but loud with songs of lament, and demonstrations of grief. Against this background, classical gravestones are remarkable for their serenity. This piece dates to the end of the fifth century B.C.

This young woman's leaning pose suggests only a weariness touched with sadness. She looks as if she were preparing to go out. The little girl holds a jewelry box, perhaps to help her dress. The woman holds a mantle over her right shoulder. This is the gesture of brides in Greek art. She seems to stand in a doorway, as a bride might do before leaving her father's house. The analogy between a young woman’s death and marriage is often repeated in Greek art. This woman fingers her veil as though in thought, aware that she is going not to her husband's house, but to the realm of the dead.

To hear Associate Curator of Greek Art Elizabeth Milleker speak about Athens at the time when the gravestone was made, press the green PLAY button now.