Marble cinerary chest with lid
The Latin inscription reads: "To the spirits of the dead. M. Domitius Primigenius made [this] for himself, his freedmen and freedwomen, and their descendants." Above is a scene in which the deceased, standing on a pedestal, making an offering to a female figure, perhaps Tellus (mother earth), who reclines on a couch bedecked with flowers. They are attended by two young servants, holding food and wine. The chest is in the form of a pedimental building, with flaming torches taking the place of columns at the corners.
Artwork Details
- Title: Marble cinerary chest with lid
- Period: Imperial, Flavian or Trajanic
- Date: ca. 90–110 CE
- Culture: Roman
- Medium: Marble
- Dimensions: 21 5/16 × 13 3/16 × 10 5/8 in. (54.2 × 33.5 × 27 cm)
- Classification: Stone Sculpture
- Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1927
- Object Number: 27.122.2a, b
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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