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Artist/Maker
Unknown artist, Roman (Ancient)
Datec. 2nd century C.E.
MediumMarble
DimensionsOverall: 34.3 x 41.9 x 10.2 cm (13 1/2 x 16 1/2 x 4 in.)
Credit LinePurchased with funds donated by D. Roger Howlett, Class of 1966
Object number1986.7.2
On view
DescriptionThis fragment of a sarcophagus, or stone coffin, reflects a period of transition in ancient Mediterranean history. In the second century AD, the Romans adopted coffin burials as an alternative to cremation. The popularity of inhumation resulted in the widespread production of sarcophagi throughout the Roman Empire during the second and third centuries. The most affluent patrons commissioned caskets made of marble, such as this, with intricately carved designs and narrative scenes on their sides. Roman sarcophagi bear strong stylistic resemblances to those produced contemporaneously in neighboring Mediterranean and Middle East regions, most notably in iconography. Similar to those from Greece and Egypt, Roman examples commonly featured mythological scenes and motifs as well as scenes of battles, hunts, and weddings. This fragment features the lower half of a figure–we can see their leg outlined through their drapery–riding in a wheeled vehicle pulled by an animal, whose back legs can be discerned.
Additional Details
Provenance
March 30, 1986: Hamilton College (Fred L. Emerson Gallery), by purchase at auction from Sotheby's, New York, Sale 5464, Lot 187;
? - March 1986: Sotheby's, New York, on consignment from an unknown dealer.
? - March 1986: Sotheby's, New York, on consignment from an unknown dealer.
Published References
Fred L. Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College, "Acquisitions 1986," FRIENDS OF ART NEWSLETTER, vol. 1, no. 1 (February 1988).
Sotheby's, ANTIQUITIES AND ISLAMIC WORKS OF ART (sale cat. New York, Sotheby's, May 30, 1986), sale 5464, lot 187.
Sotheby's, ANTIQUITIES AND ISLAMIC WORKS OF ART (sale cat. New York, Sotheby's, May 30, 1986), sale 5464, lot 187.
Unknown artist, Roman (Ancient)
Date: c. 2nd century C.E.
Medium: Marble
Object number: 1986.7.1
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