ROMAN MARBLE FUNERARY ALTAR WITH MYTHOLOGICAL SCENES AND INSCRIPTION

Ca. AD 75 - 100. A marble funerary altar of rectangular shape, with a moulded base and a projecting pediment decorated with a central female bust flanked by dolphins, with acroteria at the corners. The front face is framed by spiral-fluted columns with Corinthian capitals, enclosing a relief depicting Neptune seated beside his consort Amphitrite, with a dolphin emerging from the undulating waves below. Beneath the scene is a two-line Latin funerary inscription reading DIS MANIB SACR / C IVLI C F SAECVLARIS, translated as "Sacred to the Manes of Gaius Julius Saecularis, son of Gaius." The lateral panels are similarly framed by columns and carved with nereids riding hippocampus amid waves. The reverse is plain. For similar see: British Museum number 1805,0703.182 Size: 650mm x 320mm; Weight: 60+kg Provenance: Private London collection; Ex. Sotheby's, Important Antiquities, New York, 15 December 2018, Lot 135, illustrated; Ex. Sotheby's New York, 1996, published in the catalogue. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.

Estimate:£20,000

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