Image

RISDM 06-014 v_01.tif
RISDM 06-014 v_16.tif
RISDM 06-014 v_15.tif
RISDM 06-014 v_12.tif
RISDM 06-014 v_09.tif
RISDM 06-014 v_03.tif
RISDM 06-014 v_10.tif
RISDM 06-014 v_13.tif
RISDM 06-014 v_02.tif
RISDM 06-014 v_06.tif
RISDM 06-014 v_14.tif
RISDM 06-014 v_08.tif
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RISDM 06-014 v_11.tif
RISDM 06-014 v_04.tif
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Z0008196.jpg
RISDM 06-014 front.tif
RISDM 06-014 back.tif
RISDM 06-014 left.tif
RISDM 06-014 right.tif
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Unknown Maker, Etruscan

Lidded box (cista)

Description

Maker

Unknown Maker, Etruscan

Culture

Etruscan

Title

Lidded box (cista)

Year

late 4th-mid 3rd century BCE

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

bronze

Geography

Archaeological Site: Praeneste, Praenestine; Archaeological Site: Pompeii, Praenestine

Dimensions

Height: 29.5 cm (11 5/8 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Gustav Radeke

Object Number

06.014

Type

Projects & Publications

Publications

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries
Sep 22, 2010

Label copy

Scenes on Praenestine cistae are not always easy to decipher. The veiled woman at the center of the composition could be variously interpreted as a bride preparing for her wedding, as a woman about to be initiated into the cult of the god Dionysos (suggested by the woman to her right, who carries a staff topped by a pine cone), and finally s a deceased woman about to embark on the journey to the underworld. The presence of the messenger god Hermes, seen from behind wearing a winged hat and holding the herald’s staff, supports the last interpretation. Hermes is waiting to escort the veiled woman to her groom, the god Hades, who stands beneath the columns on the eft. Hermes is depicted in his role of guide of the dead to the underworld (psychopompos). It is therefore likely that this elaborately carved cosmetic box was unerary gift for a deceased woman.

Weiss Ancient Art Gallery
Sep 22, 2010
To Bid Farewell
Images of Death in the Ancient World
Apr 03, 1987 – Jun 07, 1987

Use & Feedback

Image use

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

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Etruscan
Lidded box (cista), late 4th-mid 3rd century BCE
Bronze
Height: 29.5 cm (11 5/8 inches)
Gift of Mrs. Gustav Radeke 06.014

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