A Roman Marble Cinerarium

Circa 1st Century B.C.-1st Century A.D.

Width 15 inches (38.1 cm).

Property from a Private Collection, Chicago, Illinois

Provenance:

Sotheby's, London, Antiquities, 12-13 December 1983, Lot 303.

Galerie Nefer, Zurich, where acquired by the present owner, 7 June 1984.

Crafted in the form of a lidded basket, this Roman marble cinerarium is an emblem of ancient elegance. The design features a scrolling acanthus on the body, detailed leaves on the lid, two foliate handles, and the image of a young sprout inside a krater, reminiscent of the mythic 'Gardens of Adonis' planted during the Adonia Festival, where such foliage symbolized rebirth and beauty.

Inspected under UV light and 10x loupe. Areas of encrustation, particularly inside. Notable losses along the top edges and proper right handle. Large loss to central medallion of lid. Generally in fine and attractive condition. See additional images.

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Jacob Coley

Senior Vice President, Head of Department, Antiquities and Ancient Art

[email protected]312 280 1212

Mr. Coley joined the Antiquities department in 2021 after working as Managing Director in the Ancient Art department at Colnaghi, the world’s oldest commercial art gallery, where he helped to establish the Ancient Art department and launched Colnaghi New York in 2017. Prior to Colnaghi, Mr. Coley was in the Greek and Roman Art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Coley holds a B.A. from the University of Miami and an M.A. in Art Market from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and he earned an art-appraisal certificate from New York University.

Antiquities and Ancient Art

A Roman Marble Cinerarium

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