Lid of a funerary altar, late 1st century b.c.
Roman
Marble
Technical Glossary
Roman
Marble
Overall 6 5/8 x 19 1/2 x 16 1/4 in. (16.8 x 49.5 x 41.3 cm)
Inscribed: "To the spirit of the departed Sextus Flavius Pancarpus, who lived 67 years"
Purchase, Michael Finkelstein and Sue-ann Friedman Gift, 1997 (1997.271)
The lid is fashioned like the roof of a miniature barrel-vaulted building. The acroteria at the corners in front have the form of theatrical masks; at the back they are palmettes. Although only a man is mentioned in the inscription, the lunettes at the side show attributes of both an intellectual man (globe and box of scrolls) and his wife (mirror and spindle).
