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Source Description
The relief, carved in two tiers in the manner of many later Roman and Christian sarcophagi, shows a sacrifice. Zeus, framed by a medallion, is seated with thunderbolt and eagle. Flanking him are Sol and Luna, identifiable by the sun's rays and the moon's crescent. Victory and a soldier approach from the left, Athena and two nude women from the right. Below, three figures, among them Hermes with his caduceus, lead an ox to sacrifice at the altar; dancers and others bearing gifts or paraphernalia for the sacrifice approach from the other side. The modeling is crude but the classical subject matter is significant at this relatively late date. The back of the panel is flat, its lower edge recessed and grooved as if made to fit against the bottom of a box. Attachment holes are visible in the lower grooved border and are concealed in the acanthus leaves along the sides and top. The background of the relief is cut so thin it is translucent; it is damaged in the bottom center and repaired with plaster.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
38857
label
Panel with Deities at an Altar
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
2
Source metadata
id
38857
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Panel with Deities at an Altar
description
The relief, carved in two tiers in the manner of many later Roman and Christian sarcophagi, shows a sacrifice. Zeus, framed by a medallion, is seated with thunderbolt and eagle. Flanking him are Sol and Luna, identifiable by the sun's rays and the moon's crescent. Victory and a soldier approach from the left, Athena and two nude women from the right. Below, three figures, among them Hermes with his caduceus, lead an ox to sacrifice at the altar; dancers and others bearing gifts or paraphernalia for the sacrifice approach from the other side. The modeling is crude but the classical subject matter is significant at this relatively late date. The back of the panel is flat, its lower edge recessed and grooved as if made to fit against the bottom of a box. Attachment holes are visible in the lower grooved border and are concealed in the acanthus leaves along the sides and top. The background of the relief is cut so thin it is translucent; it is damaged in the bottom center and repaired with plaster.
provenance
Sambon (?) [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1924, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
4th-5th century (Late Antique)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
panels (surface components)
boxes (containers)
imageCount
2
pageCount
2
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
9.4
height
18
dimensionsRaw
H: 3 11/16 x W: 7 1/16 in. (9.4 x 18 cm)
Source extras
med
ivory
creator_ids
6191
collection_ids
ROM
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
6a96b86a55eace50
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
8b881dbfe7952523
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no