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Source Description
This fragment comes from a small Early Christian sarcophagus that was probably made for a child. At the right is a young shepherd, who carries a lamb over his shoulders as two sheep gaze up at him from below. The image of the Good Shepherd originated with the pagan Greek figure of Hermes (the gods' messenger and ram-bearer) and was later transformed into Jesus as the Good Shepherd who watches over his flock.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
27994
label
Sarcophagus Fragment with the Good Shepherd
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
27994
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Sarcophagus Fragment with the Good Shepherd
description
This fragment comes from a small Early Christian sarcophagus that was probably made for a child. At the right is a young shepherd, who carries a lamb over his shoulders as two sheep gaze up at him from below. The image of the Good Shepherd originated with the pagan Greek figure of Hermes (the gods' messenger and ram-bearer) and was later transformed into Jesus as the Good Shepherd who watches over his flock.
provenance
Jerome M. Eisenberg [Royal-Athena Galleries], London and New York, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 2001, by purchase.
date
early 4th century (Late Antique)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Stone
fragments
sarcophagus
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
34.5
height
55
dimensionsRaw
13 9/16 x 21 5/8 in. (34.5 x 55 cm)
Source extras
cul
Roman
style
Early Christian
med
marble
creator_ids
6191
collection_ids
ROM
exhibition_ids
none
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
e8dd58630befa486