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Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A marvelous stone stele featuring the bust of a male framed by an aedicula or petite shrine comprised of a pediment supported by a pair of columns to form a niche. Shoulders draped, the youthful visage gazes outward from huge eyes beneath a straight coiffure. An Ancient Greek inscription is carved below, likely containing the name of the deceased, while the pediment is adorned by a single rosette - a typical Roman funerary motif - at the center. Highly symbolic, rosettes were depicted as perpetually ageless to represent the Roman belief in the soul's continued existence. The rigidly frontal presentation also has a religious meaning, alluding to the experience of ecstatic vision or the participation in the afterlife, while the pediment above him may suggest he is passing through a threshold or gates, perhaps those of Hades or the afterlife. Size: 18.3" W x 26.2" H (46.5 cm x 66.5 cm)

Prior to the 2nd century, Romans cremated their dead; around that time, inspired by the Greek and Etruscan practice of using sarcophagi, they began to place their dead in sarcophagi. This trend spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire. In the western part of the Empire, sarcophagi were placed inside a mausoleum against a wall or in a niche, so the only decorated panels were on the front and the short sides. This stele probably came from the grave of a high-status Roman citizen.

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Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#177234

Chipping to peripheries, as well as expected nicks and abrasions throughout, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with nice preservation of detail.