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Unknown Maker, Roman

Cinerary Urn
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Roman

Culture

Roman

Title

Cinerary Urn

Period

Ancient

Year

1st century CE

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

white marble

Geography

Archaeological Site: Rome

Dimensions

35.6 x 31.1 x 29.8 cm (14 x 12 1/4 x 11 3/4 inches) A

Signature / Inscription / Marks

DIS MANIB ANTONIA SATVRNINA FECITCONIVGI SVO DELICATO - SER - CAES ITEM - M - ANTONIVS FILIVS - FECIT - PATRI SVO - BENEMERENTI

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Marshall H. Gould

Object Number

46.083

Type

Publications

Exhibition History

Rethinking the Romans
New Views of Ancient Sculpture
Apr 06, 2001 – Jan 02, 2009

Label copy

At the time this piece was made, cremation was the favored form of burial for all Roman social classes. Marble cinerary urns with carved decoration were quite popular in the first century AD as containers for the ashes of the deceased. This urn takes the form of a miniature temple decorated with vegetal motifs and implements used for the burial ritual, such as a bowl for a liquid offering (patera) and a funerary wreath. The Latin inscription reads: “To the Shades of the Dead. Anotonia Saturnina made [commissioned] this for her husband Delicatus, imperial slave, and Marcus Anotninus his son made it for his well-deserving father.”

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Roman
Cinerary Urn, 1st century CE
Marble
35.6 x 31.1 x 29.8 cm (14 x 12 1/4 x 11 3/4 inches) A
Gift of Marshall H. Gould 46.083

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