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
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)