Name/Title
Child Sarcophagus w Good ShepherdEntry/Object ID
HM-352Tags
DEACCESSIONED, Pacifici purchaseDescription
Child Sarcophagus Recut, with Good Shepherd and Strigillation
Roman
Imperial Period
2nd to 4th century, recarved in 1920s.
Marble
Dimensions (Christie's 1994)
27 cm (height) x 87.6 cm (length) x 34.3 cm (width)
Condition
A full evaluation of the condition is impossible since the sarcophagus had been auctioned in 1994 and there are only a few photos of it. They show damage to the shaft of the column on the left side.
Description
A forger recarved the original plain or scarcely decorated sarcophagus chest in the 1920s. The framed Good Shepherd figure is in the center of the front of the strigillated sarcophagus; columns with spiral fluting are in the corners, and a lion-griffin (according to Christie's 1994) is on each narrow side.
Discussion
The forger also recarved HM-351.
Provenance (see also HM-351)
Armando Pacifici recorded it as being from the area of San Giovanni, Rome. It is unclear if Pacifici meant San Giovanni in Laterano or, more likely, San Giovanni a Porta Latina. Either way, the findspot is not entirely credible.
March 1928 Armando Pacifici acquired the sarcophagus from M. Rondelli in Rome.
Subsequently, Pacifici sold it to Hammond.
ca. 1994 deaccessioned
15 December 1994 sold at Christie's (New York)
Location (former)
Courtyard, north side
Bibliography
Christie's, Antiquities, Auction Catalogue 8084 (New York: 5 December 1994), lot. 184.Collection
SculptureLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
SarcophagusNomenclature Primary Object Term
Container, FuneraryNomenclature Sub-Class
Funerary ObjectsNomenclature Class
Ceremonial ObjectsNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsGeneral Notes
Note Type
1994-12-15 Christie's p77 #183, 184 - HM351, HM352 sarcophagus (M Easton)Note Type
1928-05 ca from Armando Pacifici (List of 13 Cases copy 1) p(1-2)Note Type
1928-11-24 from Armando Pacifici (windows, capitals, all purchases to date) p (1-2)
