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Fragment of sarcophagus cover with a sea bull

Archaeology

Anonymous

Roman Empire, second half of the 2nd c. AD

Location icon

Central fragment of a sarcophagus cover. Its iconography is inserted in the abundant series of sarcophagi with marine motifs; in our case we see on the waves a sea bull riding to the right, mounted by a little flying love. The details of the execution are very faded, but from what is still visible it seems that they were careful because the musculature of the animal's neck and tail and also the wings of the little "eros" make it clear. The sea bull, a mythological beast half bull and half sea serpent, could be part of a thiasos or entourage of the god Neptune, a frequent theme in ancient sarcophagi under the version of an oceanic funeral procession. Roman artists imagined wolves, goats or bulls with long sinuous tails rising from the depths of the sea, to escort the souls of the departed to the afterlife. This retinue, accompanied by happy and playful putti, guaranteed a pleasant navigation to the final destination: a wonderful paradise on the islands of the most fortunate among the departed.

Judit Verdaguer Serrat

Llegir més

Location

Room2 ,Floor-1

1 History of the Museum

2 Archaelogy

3 Lapidary

Detalls de l’obra

PLACE OF EXECUTION

Place of execution unknown

PERIOD

Roman Empire, second half of the 2nd c. AD

Material

Carved Luni marble

Dimensions

35 x 53 x 17 cm

Origin

Provenance unknown

WORK NUMBER

MEV 3217