Roman Marble Sarcophagus Fragment - PF.5532 Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 75
AD
to 125
AD Dimensions:9.375" (23.8cm) high x 10" (25.4cm) wide Collection: Classical Style: Roman Medium: Marble
Additional Information: Art Logic--Christie's (New York) 1999 Location: UAE
Preserving the right half of the tondo
from a
strigillated sarcophagus, the facing
head of a
bearded man with short cropped hair, a
wide
nose and pointed chin. Two flutes of
the
strigillations are visible to the right.
Could this
be a lasting memorial to the man who
would
have been entombed inside the
sarcophagus? Or
perhaps he was the spouse of a long lost
loved
one. We can be sure that this effigy
represented
a specific individual. Elements of
portraiture are
evident in his eyebrows and bulging eyes
carved
in high relief as well as the hair and
beard. While
the memory of this man’s persona has
vanished
behind the curtain of time, his image
and
existence will be forever recorded on
this
memorial to the fleeting fragility of
life.
- (PF.5532)