Like the much older Etruscan urn, this cinerary urn resembles a small building with pitched roof. The inscription attests that it contained the ashes of a man and a woman, possibly husband and wife, who were freed slaves:
To the divine shades of D[ecimus] Aemilius Chius and Hortensia Phebe
The ornamentation combines symbols related to death and resurrection. The garlands and fruit indicate regeneration and eternal life; the winged harpies on the front corners are fantastic creatures thought to carry off the souls of the dead; the eagles on the back corners represent man's spiritual ability to soar heavenwards. The central gorgon's head servesto ward off off evil influences. The rams' heads, also prominent on the Etruscan urn, symbolize procreative energy in many cultures. The back is not decorated, as the urn would have been placed in a niche inside a tomb.
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