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A Roman marble sarcophagus image 1
A Roman marble sarcophagus image 2
A Roman marble sarcophagus image 3
Lot 181

A Roman marble sarcophagus

7 July 2016, 10:30 BST
London, New Bond Street

£40,000 - £60,000

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A Roman marble sarcophagus
Circa A.D. 200-250
The front panel with two pairs of horned lion griffins, with curved horns and intricately modelled wings, their manes composed of thick tendrils along the jaw lines, their mouths slightly open exposing the teeth, each pair arranged heraldically with one paw raised and resting on a candelabrum, the tails of the two innermost interwoven with an open palmette above, a fluted Corinthian pilaster at each end; one side panel carved with a bow and quiver, the other side with two overlapping shields and a spear; the interior with a slightly raised platform on each curved end, 170.2cm long

Footnotes

Provenance:
Christie's New York, 9 June 2011, lot 195.
Private collection, Tours, France, late 19th Century.

Literature:
For a relief with similar griffins, cf. R. Calza, Antichità di Villa Doria Pamphilj, Rome, 1977, p.108, pl.128a. Also there is a closely-related sarcophagus from the Massarenti Collection, Rome, now in the Walters Art Museum (inv.23.35).

Additional information

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