What is the message of the portonaccio sarcophagus?

Description: Large marble sarcophagus decorated entirely with figurative scenes that show influences similar to those of the Column of Marcus Aurelius. The lid is decorated with a bibliographical frieze, which celebrates the birth and wedding of the deceased and an act of clemency towards a barbarian.

What does the scroll on this sarcophagus portray about the person who is buried within it?

The scroll depicts the religious context of afterlife in the Egyptian culture. Function: preserve the body and prepare them for the afterlife.

What is this bas relief carved sarcophagus used for?

A sarcophagus, which means “flesh-eater” in Greek, is a stone coffin used for inhumation burials. Sarcophagi were commissioned not only for the elite of Roman society (mature male citizens), but also for children, entire families, and beloved wives and mothers.

Which sculpture carved in marble was best known of all sarcophagus?

Marble sarcophagus with the Triumph of Dionysos and the Seasons ca. A.D. 260–270.

What type of artwork is the masterpiece of the Portonacio sarcophagus?

Roman sculpture
For the anniversary show, the museum tinkered with several showcase exhibits — including the so-called Portonaccio sarcophagus (after the Roman site where it was found), considered to be a masterpiece of second-century Roman sculpture, and the first century B.C. frescoes depicting a garden from the Villa of Livia, the …

What is the art form of the Portonacio sarcophagus?

Sculpture
Portonaccio sarcophagus/Forms

What are the 4 images depicted on the side of the sarcophagus in the Vatican?

The scenes on the front side are (from left to right): (1) Sacrifice of Isaac; (2) Arrest of Peter; (3) Enthroned Christ with Peter and Paul (traditio legis); (4-5) Trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilatus; (6) Job at the Dunghill; (7) Adam and Eve; (8) Christ’s Entry to Jerusalem on a Donkey; (9) Daniel in the Lion’s Den …

What does sarcophagus of Junius Bassus tell us about Roman society in the mid 4th century?

Carved for a Roman city prefect who was a newly baptized Christian at his death, the sarcophagus of Junius Bassus is not only a magnificent example of “the fine style” of mid-fourth-century sculpture but also a treasury of early Christian iconography clearly indicating the Christianization of Rome — and the …

What is the function of sarcophagus?

Used to bury leaders and wealthy residents in ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece, a sarcophagus is a coffin or a container to hold a coffin. Most sarcophagi are made of stone and displayed above ground.

What does the sarcophagus of Junius bassus show?

The lower register directly underneath depicts Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem. In including the Entry into Jerusalem, the designer of the Junius Bassus sarcophagus did not just use this to represent the New Testament story, but with the adventus iconography, this image signifies Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

What is a marble sarcophagus?

A sarcophagus (meaning “flesh-eater” in Greek) is a coffin for inhumation burials, widely used throughout the Roman empire starting in the second century A.D. The most luxurious were of marble, but they were also made of other stones, lead (65.148), and wood.

What was on an Egyptian sarcophagus?

It includes a large collar, many figurative scenes and even passages from the Book of the Dead. The sarcophagus identifies the mummy it contained as a woman and as an enchantress. This connects her to Osiris, god of the underworld, and would have guaranteed her eternal passage through the afterlife.

What did sarcophagi in ancient Rome look like?

Most western Roman sarcophagi were placed inside mausolea against a wall or in a niche, and were therefore only decorated on the front and two short sides. A large number are carved with garlands of fruit and leaves, evoking the actual garlands frequently used to decorate tombs and altars.

Who was involved in the production of sarcophagi?

Sarcophagi production of the ancient Roman Empire involved three main parties: the customer, the sculpting workshop that carved the monument, and the quarry-based workshop that supplied the materials. The distance between these parties was highly variable due to the extensive size of the Empire.

What was the purpose of the Roman sarcophagus relief?

Although mythological scenes have been quite widely studied, sarcophagus relief has been called the “richest single source of Roman iconography,” and may also depict the deceased’s occupation or life course, military scenes, and other subject matter. The same workshops produced sarcophagi with Jewish or Christian imagery.

Where was the main production center of Attic sarcophagi?

The main production center of Attic sarcophagi was Athens. The nearby quarry on Mount Pentelikos supplied the marble, and the workshops produced sarcophagi mainly for export. Attic sarcophagi are typically rectangular in shape, decorated on all four sides, with elaborate ornamental carving along the base and upper edge.