Roman, Holy Land, ca. 1st century BCE to 1st century CE. A carved limestone ossuary with incised floral, geometric, and architectural motifs on one long side - the one that would have been visible in a niche in a family tomb. Its lid is undecorated, made of a simple carved slab of limestone whose surface still bears the marks of the stonemason who made it, allowing you to imagine the process of its creation. The exterior was at one time painted an earthy red color, some of which remains. The incised motifs would have been left unpainted, allowing the natural creamy white color of the limestone to stand out against the red foreground. Size: 10.5" L x 21.5" W x 13.75" H (26.7 cm x 54.6 cm x 34.9 cm)

For about two centuries prior to the Roman destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jewish people in the Roman Holy Land practiced ossilegium, a secondary burial in a box like this one. In the first stage of burial, the body was placed into a pit or, in the case of more elite members of society, into a niche or bench in a tomb. A year later, when the soft tissue had decomposed, family members collected the deceased and placed their bones into an ossuary like this one. This was placed into a niche in the family tomb. This was an important event in the family, and also a religious act, designed to ensure the purification of the deceased's soul. The decorative motifs on the body may be wishes for rebirth, but may also have been inspired by the architecture of the Temple.

A similar example, smaller and without a lid, sold at Christie's in 2014 for $10,625 (New York Antiquities, June 5, Lot 112).

Provenance: private J.H. collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA

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#149606

Both lid and body have been repaired from multiple pieces, with light restoration along the repair lines. This is expertly done and unobtrusive. Deposits on surface with the motifs well preserved and some glimpses of the original red pigment.